SB    307    ME? 


MW-EMLAM) 


REESE    LIBRARY 

OF   THK 

UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA. 

Received. ±^6  <*JJ^i88 

Accessions  No..^f_4</J_       Shelf  No 


FRUIT    BOOK 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED   BY  FREEMAN  AND  BOLLES, 
WASHINGTON  STREET. 


WILLIAMS'  BON     CHRETIEN,   OK    BAR.TLETT, 


It   CO*     LiH,        f? 


THE 


NEW  ENGLAND  FRUIT  BOOK. 

BEING 

A    DESCRIPTIVE    CATALOGUE 

OF   THE    MOST    VALUABLE    VARIETIES   OF    THE 

PEAR,   APPLE,    PEACH,   PLUM,   AND   CHERRY, 
FOR     NEW    ENGLAND    CULTURE. 

BY  ROBERT  MANNING. 


TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED  OTHER  VARIETIES  ; 

ALSO    THE 

GRAPE,  aUINCE,  GOOSEBERRY,  CURRANT,   AND  STRAWBERRY  5 
WITH      OUTLINES     OF 

MANY   OF    THE    FINEST    PEARS, 

DRAWN    FROM   NATURE  ; 


WITH     DIRECTION^^|RtWJfyjWb^TING,    BUDDING, 

GENERAL  MODES    OF   CULTU1 


8  E 

BY  JOHN  M.  IVES 


PUBLISHED  BY  W.  &  S.  B.  IVES,  SALEM,  MASS. 
B.    B.    MUSSEY,   BOSTON. 

AND   FOR   SALE    AT   THE   VARIOUS   BOOKSTORES    AND   SEED    ESTABLISH- 
MENTS   IN    NEW  ENGLAND. 

1844. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844, 

BY  JOHN  M.  IVES, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District   Court  of  the  District  of 
Massachusetts. 


PREFACE. 


IN  publishing  a  new  edition  of  "  Manning's  Book 
of  Fruits,"  it  is  thought  advisable  to  add  outline 
drawings  of  some  of  the  best  varieties  of  Pears 
found  in  his  descriptive  catalogue,  (most  of  which 
we  have  grown  ourselves,)  together  with  a  few 
others  of  recent  introduction.  The  compiler  would 
briefly  say,  that  in  his  remarks,  drawn  from  various 
sources,  upon  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  together  with 
his  own  limited  experience,  his  object  is  to  render 
some  service  to  the  cultivator,  by  collecting  and 
condensing  from  various  sources,  such  directions  as 
seemed  of  most  importance  in  practice.  Some  of 
the  varieties  of  pears,  which  from  farther  experience 
were  found  not  desirable,  are  omitted  in  this  edition. 
We  have  not  inserted  drawings  of  apples  in  the 
compilation,  from  the  difficulty  of  identifying  this 
fruit  by  single  specimens.  Our  object  is  to  bring 
together  the  experience  of  practical  cultivators  in 
a  condensed  form,  and  at  a  low  price. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page. 
Root,  Sap,  &c.         .        .        .         .        .7  V        *        .     1 

Transplanting,      .         »  -      .         .        .         .         .         .         3 

Pruning,          .         .         .         .....         .  .7 

Diseases  —  Injurious  Insects,  &c 9 

Use  of  Salt,  Ashes,  and  Clay,          .         .         .         .        .12 

Grafting, v       .         .         14 

Budding,  or  Inoculation,       *.  / 17 

Raising  Fruit  Trees  from  Seed,          ....          20 

On  preserving  Pears,     .......      22 

Cultivation  of  the  Apple,  .        .         .     .^.:.         .  24 

Cultivation  of  the  Pear, 42 

Cultivation  of  the  Peach,  .        .         .        .         .  92 

Cultivation  of  the  Plum,        ;        ,;       ."   J     i        .         .      100 
Cultivation  of  the  Cherry,         *''."'.•"•        .;        .         .          110 
Cultivation  of  the  Grape       .  •; >•;-«'<-  :  .*?:-  .-.•*?       .        •       115 
Cultivation  of  the  Quince,        ,-..      .....       .,        .  121 

Cultivation  of  the  Raspberry,       .....      121 

Cultivation  of  the  Strawberry, 123 

Cultivation  of  the  Gooseberry,     .•'.-'*     .:        .         .       126 
Cultivation  of  the  Currant.      .         .      .  .       ./.  ,  •  .         .128 

Isabella  Grape          :.:   ,  .:       .      -.''^,        .         .        120 
Long  Orange  and  Portugal  Quince,         .   .     .         .         .    121 

Raspberry,        .         .         .         ."'"..        .         .         121 

Strawberry,       .         .        .; 123 

Gooseberry,        /»         .......     126 

Currant,         .  .         .  ;^.;Tr.       ..         .   128 

Peaches  upon  Plum  Stocks,       .         .  .         .         110 

Restoring  trees  girdled  by  Mice.  ....     130 


OF  THE 

UJTIVEllSIT, 


NEW  ENGLAND  FRUIT  BOOK 


ROOT  — SAP,  &c. 

THE  root  being  the  commencement  and  founda- 
tion of  trees,  its  office  is  to  collect  and  apply  the 
food  which  forms  and  determines  its  growth ;  hence, 
if  the  roots  grow  luxuriantly,  the  branches  will  also, 
and  the  reverse.  It  often  happens,  says  Miller, 
that  the  roots  of  trees  are  buried  too  deep  in  the 
ground,  which,  in  a  cold  or  moist  soil,  is  one  of  the 
greatest  disadvantages  that  can  attend  fruits ;  for 
the  sap  in  the  branches  being,  by  the  warmth  of  the 
air,  put  strongly  into  motion  early  in  the  spring,  is 
exhausted  in  nourishing  the  blossoms,  and  a  part  of 
it  is  perspired  through  the  wood  branches,  so  that 
its  strength  is  lost  before  the  warmth  can  reach  the 
shoots,  to  put  them  into  an  equal  motion  in  search 
of  fresh  nourishment,  to  supply  the  expenses  of  the 
branches,  for  want  of  which  the  branches  fall  off 
and  decay.  Most  trees  will  thrive  if  they  have  two 
feet  in  depth  of  good  earth,  especially  when  their 
roots  spread  near  the  surface ;  for  whether  that 
which  supplies  food  for  the  tree  be  a  black,  yellow, 
1 


FRUIT    BOOK. 

or  brown  loam,  it  can  only  be  furnished  within  a 
certain  depth  from  the  surface,  or  within  the  influ- 
ence of  the  sun  and  air.  Large  roots,  running  deep 
and  spreading  wide,  may  be  necessary  to  produce 
large  timber  trees,  but  not  fruit  trees,  for  these  are 
more  prolific  when  their  roots  are  much  divided  or 
fibrous,  and  kept  near  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

The  following  remarks  upon  the  theory  of  the 
motion  of  the  sap  in  trees  is  from  the  pen  of  one  of 
our  best  writers  upon  horticulture  :  —  u  The  first 
motion  of  the  sap  in  the  spring  takes  place  in  the 
branches,  and  lastly  in  the  roots ;  the  buds,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  increasing  temperature  of  the  air, 
first  swell  and  attract  the  sap  in  their  vicinity : 
this  fluid,  having  lain  dormant,  or  nearly  so  through- 
out the  preceding  winter,  becomes  gradually  ex- 
panded by  the  influence  of  the  solar  rays,  and 
supplies  the  buds  with  nourishment  from  the  parts 
immediately  below  them ;  the  vessels  which  yield 
this  supply  becoming,  in  consequence,  exhausted, 
are  quickly  filled  with  fluid  from  the  parts  below 
them,  and  in  this  manner  the  motion  continues  until 
it  reaches  the  roots,  the  grand  reservoir  of  the  sap, 
by  which  time  the  solar  heat  having  penetrated  the 
soil,  the  roots  begin  to  feel  its  enlivened  influence. 
The  whole  body  of  sap  then  begins  to  move  up- 
wards, and  as  soon  as  the  quantity  propelled  is  more 
than  sufficient  to  distend  all  the  vessels  in  the  stem 
and  the  branches,  the  buds  begin  to  elongate  and 
unfold.  From  this  time,  the  fluid  becoming  more 
expanded  every  hour,  its  ascent  is  simultaneously 


TRANSPLANTING.  3 

increased  in  force  and  velocity  ;  the  vessels  in  the 
branches,  being  filled  to  repletion,  the  buds  quickly 
open,  and  shoots  and  leaves  rapidly  protrude ;  the 
leaves  attract  the  sap  as  soon  as  it  reaches  their 
vicinity,  and,  by  one  of  the  most  wonderful  pro- 
cesses that  can  be  conceived,  the  result  of  exquisite 
organization,  prepare  it  for  the  nourishment  of  the 
plant.  It  then  returns  downward,  betwixt  the  bark 
and  alburnum,  and  in  its  descent  is  distributed 
laterally  to  every  part  of  the  plant,  until  it  reaches 
(finally)  the  extremities  of  the  roots." 

TRANSPLANTING. 

In  the  removal  of  trees,  care  is  necessary  to 
obtain  as  much  of  the  roots  as  possible,  and  in  re- 
setting, that  none  are  doubled  back  and  distorted. 
Cutting  off  smoothly  the  end  of  each  root  that  may 
be  broken,  or  cut  by  the  spade,  is  indispensable,  and 
all  fibrous  roots  that  are  injured  should  also  be  cut 
close  to  the  root  upon  which  they  are  attached ;  the 
root  or  stem  should  be  pressed  close  down  upon  the 
soil,  so  as  to  place  the  roots  in  a  horizontal  direc- 
tion, and  all  of  them  drawn  out  straight  like  a  fan, 
or  rays  verging  from  a  centre  to  a  semicircle,  and 
the  soil  thrown  evenly  over.  Trees  should  not  be 
shaken,  or  lifted  up  and  down,  after  the  earth  is 
placed  upon  their  roots,  as  is  too  generally  practis- 
ed ;  for  when  a  tree  is  thus  raised  up,  the  smaller 
roots  will  be  drawn  out  of  their  places,  and  when 
the  stem  is  thrust  down  again,  the  roots  being  too 


4  FRUIT    BOOK. 

weak  to  force  their  way  back  into  the  soil,  will  be 
doubled  up,  which  often  causes  knobs,  and  throws 
out  suckers;  neither  will  the  earth  require  to  be 
trodden  down  hard,  but  gently ;  or  if  the  soil  be 
that  of  a  dry  or  loose  loamy  nature,  setting  in  puddle 
(which  is  to  water  as  you  set  it)  is  an  excellent 
process.  Copious  watering  after  a  tree  is  set,  is 
often  very  prejudicial,  as  it  will  frequently  wash 
away  the  soil,  and  leave  open  spaces  around  the 
roots.  Fruit  trees  should  rarely  be  placed  deeper 
in  the  ground  than  they  originally  stood  in  the  nur- 
sery. In  removing  large  trees,  it  is  a  good  prac- 
tice to  cut  off*  many  of  the  large  roots  some  distance 
from  the  tree  a  year  previous  to  their  removal ;  for, 
wherever  the  roots  are  thus  cut  through,  the  new 
fibres  which  are  emitted  (provided  the  tree  is  in 
health)  in  short  tufts,  are  far  more  easily  taken  out 
of  the  ground  without  injury,  than  if  they  were 
longer  and  more  scattered  among  the  soil. 

Autumnal  planting  is  often  preferred  in  light 
sandy  soils,  and  spring  planting  on  soils  of  a  strong 
and  wet  nature.  From  our  own  experience  in  set- 
ting fruit  trees  for  some  years  past,  we  are  inclined 
to  prefer  the  spring,  provided  it  can  be  done  early, 
particularly  for  stone  fruit.  Damp,  but  not  rainy 
weather  should  be  preferred,  particularly  in  dry 
soils ;  nothing  is  more  injurious  to  any  tree  than  to 
be  taken  up,  even  if  immediately  afterwards  plant- 
ed, during  frosty  or  dry  windy  weather.  Not  only 
do  the  roots,  under  such  circumstances,  sustain 
injury  during  the  time  they  are  thus  exposed,  but 


TRANSPLANTING. 


5 


the  dry  parching  atmosphere,  which  must,  in  such 
cases,  surround  the  whole  surface  of  the  tree,  greatly 
exhausts  it,  while  it  is  prevented  from  absorbing  a 
fresh  supply  of  food  from  the  soil,  in  consequence 
of  its  roots  being  more  or  less  shortened  or  dimin- 
ished by  the  operation.  If  trees  are  found  to  grow 
too  luxuriantly,  and  to  form  only  wood  for  years, 
even  after  they  are  of  sufficient  size  and  age  for  the 
production  of  fruit,  the  earth  should  be  removed  just 
before  the  frost  sets  in,  and  a  proportion  of  the 
deepest  growing  roots  cut  off;  thus  checking  its 
luxuriousness,  and  rendering  it  more  fruitful. 

The  following  excellent  "  Hints  for  Transplant- 
ing" are  from  the  Nursery  Catalogue  of  A.  J. 
Downing,  of  Newburgh: 

"  1.  Many  persons  plant  a  tree  as  they  would  a 
post !  The  novice  in  planting  must  consider  that  a 
tree  is  a  living,  nicely  organized  production,  as  cer- 
tainly affected  by  good  treatment  as  an  animal. 
Many  an  orchard  of  trees,  rudely  thrust  into  the 
ground,  struggles  half  a  dozen  years  against  the 
adverse  condition,  before  it  recovers. 

"2.  In  planting  an  orchard,  let  the  ground  be 
made  mellow  by  repeated  ploughing.  For  a  tree  of 
moderate  size,  the  hole  should  be  dug  three  feet  in 
diameter,  and  twelve  to  twenty  inches  deep.  Turn 
over  the  soil  several  times,  and,  if  not  rich,  mix 
thoroughly  with  it  some  compost,  or  well-rotted 
manure.  In  every  instance  the  hole  must  be  large 
enough  to  admit  all  the  roots  easily  without  bend- 
ing. Shorten  and  pare  smoothly  with  a  knife,  any 


O  FRUIT   BOOK. 

bruised  or  broken  roots.  Hold  the  tree  upright, 
while  another  person,  making  the  earth  fine,  gradu- 
ally distributes  it  among  the  roots.  Shake  the  tree 
gently  while  this  filling  is  going  on.  The  main 
secret  lies  in  carefully  filling  in  the  mould,  so  that 
every  root  may  meet  the  soil ;  and,  to  secure  this, 
let  the  operator,  with  his  hand,  spread  out  the  small 
roots,  and  fill  in  the  earth  nicely  around  every  one. 
Nine  tenths  of  the  deaths  by  transplanting  arise 
from  the  hollows  left  among  the  roots  of  trees  by  a 
rapid  and  careless  mode  of  shovelling  the  earth 
among  the  roots. 

"  3.  When  the  hole  is  two  thirds  filled,  pour  in  a 
pail  or  two  of  water.  This  will  settle  the  soil,  and 
fill  up  any  little  vacuities  that  may  remain.  Wait 
until  the  water  has  sunk  away,  and  then  fill  up  the 
hole,  pressing  the  earth  moderately  around  the 
trees  with  the  foot.  The  moist  earth,  being  covered 
by  the  loose  surface  soil,  will  retain  its  humidity  for 
a  long  time.  Indeed,  we  rarely  find  it  necessary  to 
water  again  after  planting  in  this  way,  and  a  little 
muck  or  litter  placed  around  the  tree,  upon  the 
newly  moved  soil,  will  render  it  quite  unnecessary. 
Frequent  surface  watering  is  highly  injurious,  as  it 
causes  the  top  of  the  soil  to  bake  so  hard  as  to 
prevent  the  access  of  air  and  light,  both  of  which, 
in  a  certain  degree,  are  absolutely  necessary. 

"  4.  Avoid  the  prevalent  error  (so  common  and 
so  fatal  in  this  country)  of  planting  your  trees  too 
deep.  They  should  not  be  planted  more  than  an 
inch  deeper  than  they  stood  before.  If  they  are 


PRUNING.  7 

likely  to  be  thrown  out  by  the  frost  of  the  first 
winter,  heap  a  little  mound  about  the  stem,  to  be 
removed  again  in  the  spring. 

"  5.  If  your  soil  is  positively  bad,  remove  it  from 
the  holes,  and  substitute  a  cart-load  or  two  of  good 
garden  mould.  Do  not  forget  that  plants  must 
have  food.  Five  times  the  common  growth  may  be 
realized  by  preparing  holes  six  feet  in  diameter  and 
twice  the  usual  depth,  enriching  and  improving  the 
soil  by  the  plentiful  addition  of  good  compost. 
Young  trees  cannot  be  expected  to  thrive  well  in 
sod  land.  When  a  young  orchard  must  be  kept 
in  grass,  a  circle  should  be  kept  dug  around  each 
tree,  we  think  to  the  extent  or  spread  of  the 
branches.  But  cultivation  of  the  land  will  cause 
the  trees  to  advance  more  rapidly  in  five  years  than 
they  will  in  ten,  when  it  is  allowed  to  remain  in 
grass.5' 

PRUNING. 

In  this  department  of  culture  no  explicit  direc- 
tions will  indiscriminately  apply  to  each  variety  of 
fruit  trees.  Peaches,  cherries,  and  plums,  are  al- 
ways in  the  greatest  vigor  when  they  are  the  least 
maimed  by  the  knife ;  for  when  these  trees  have 
large  amputations,  they  are  very  subject  to  gum  and 
decay  ;  so  that  it  is  certainly  the  most  prudent  me- 
thod, with  stone  fruit  particularly,  carefully  to  rub 
off  all  useless  buds,  when  they  appear.  Fruit  trees 
in  this  latitude  should  not  be  pruned  in  the  fall  or 


8  FRUIT    BOOK. 

winter  months,  as  they  are  at  those  times  exceedingly 
apt  to  crack  or  canker.  The  best  season  for  this 
work  is  at,  or  soon  after,  the  swelling  of  the  buds  or 
expanding  of  the  leaves,  the  sap  being  then  in  vig- 
orous motion,  the  wounds  soon  heal  over.  Every 
limb  taken  off  should  be  cut  close  to  the  main  stem ; 
and  provided  the  limb  is  large,  a  composition  of  tar 
and  red  ochre,  or  grafting  wax,  should  be  spread 
upon  the  end  to  keep  out  air  and  moisture.  From 
the  strong  growth  of  fruit  trees  in  our  country,  and 
the  dryness  of  its  atmosphere,  severe  pruning  is  less 
necessary  here  than  in  England,  from  whence  we 
have  derived  many  of  our  instructions.  Excessive 
pruning  with  us  is  apt  to  generate  suckers,  or  what 
is  termed  water  shoots,  from  the  limbs.  Judicious 
pruning,  however,  will  promote  health  and  early 
fruitfulness.  Trees,  even  of  the  same  species,  dif- 
fering as  they  do  in  form  of  growth,  require  very 
different  treatment.  Coxe,  of  New  Jersey,  recom- 
mends the  practice  of  forming  the  heads  of  trees 
in  the  nursery  the  year  before  they  are  removed. 
Every  limb  which  crosses  another  should  be  taken 
off;  the  external  branches,  particularly  in  apple  and 
pear  trees,  should  be  every  where  rendered  thin  and 
pervious  to  the  sun.  The  great  principle  to  be  at- 
tended to  in  pruning  apple  trees,  is  cutting  out  all 
dead,  diseased,  or  useless  branches,  at  their  base, 
and  thinning  those  that  are  healthy  and  vigorous,  so 
that  the  sun  and  air  may  penetrate  to,  (not  through) 
every  part  of  the  tree.  Few  people  have  confidence 
enough  to  do  this  effectually  ;  but  they  may  be  as- 


DISEASES INJURIOUS    INSECTS,    ETC.  9 

sured  that  they  would  have  more  and  better  fruit 
were  they  to  retain  one  half  the  number  of  branches 
which  in  general  at  present  exist  in  most  orchards. 
In  speaking  as  we  have  of  the  difficulty  there  is  in 
giving  explicit  directions  upon  pruning,  the  following 
remarks  of  "  Salisbury  "  are  very  judicious. 

"  Pruning  trees  is  a  work  respecting  which  every 
gardener  pretends  to  have  a  competent  knowledge, 
and  those  who  have  written  on  the  subject  have  en- 
deavored to  lay  down  rules  for  the  operation ;  but  I 
confess,  that  although  I  have  had  considerable  expe- 
rience, for  many  years,  and  know  the  theory  on 
which  rules  for  it  may  be  formed,  yet  I  am  incapa- 
ble of  communicating  my  ideas  on  the  subject,  as  it 
wholly  depends  on  the  state  of  the  trees ;  and  it 
would  be  as  absurd  for  me  to  tell  any  one  what 
branches  he  should  cut  out,  and  what  leave,  by  de- 
scription, as  it  would  be  for  a  physician  to  prescribe 
for  a  patient  who  labors  under  a  severe  and  acute 
disease,  on  the  mere  report  of  the  nurse,  without  a 
personal  inspection  of  his  patient.  I  must  be  par- 
doned, therefore,  if  I  say,  that  nothing  but  experi- 
ence, founded  on  long  observation  as  to  the  growth 
of  trees,  will  ever  enable  a  person  to  discover  the 
proper  art  of  pruning." 

DISEASES— INJURIOUS  INSECTS,  &c. 

The  injuries  and  diseases  to  which  fruit  trees  are 
subject,  are  often  difficult  to  be  accounted  for,  and 
various  are  the  methods  devised  for  their  correction. 


10  FRUIT   BOOK. 

The  genus  of  insects  called  Aphis,  or  green  fly,  one 
or  more  species  being  found  upon  nearly  all  our  va- 
rieties of  fruit  trees,  particularly  upon  those  that  are 
young,  are  very  troublesome.  They  lodge  and  live 
on  the  points  of  the  young  succulent  shoots,  distort- 
ing the  leaves  and  checking  the  growth.  Various 
washings,  compositions,  and  powderings  have  been 
applied  for  their  destruction,  among  them  are  the 
following :  —  Syringing  with  tobacco  water,  lime  wa- 
ter, fine  air-slacked  lime  mixed  with  soot,  and  strewed 
over  the  trees  in  a  dewy  morning,  burning  haulm  or 
straw  sprinkled  with  sulphur  to  windward  of  the  in- 
fected trees.  These  are  generally  considered  good 
remedies,  but  the  most  effectual  in  our  practice,  of 
late,  has  been  the  whale  oil  soap  mixture  for  the  de- 
struction of  most  insects  that  infest  our  trees.  The 
slimy  slug,  found  upon  the  leaves  of  our  pear  trees, 
may  be  effectually  destroyed  by  the  application  of 
wood  ashes,  thrown  upon  the  leaves  during  moist 
weather.  The  canker,  a  disease  which  injures  many 
trees,  causing  the  bark  to  grow  rough  and  scabby, 
and  turning  the  wood  into  a  rusty  brown  color,  is 
said  by  some  to  be  owing  to  a  stintiness  that  takes 
place  in  the  trees  from  a  bad  sub-soil.  We  appre- 
hend that  this  disease  is  often  brought  on  by  injudi- 
cious pruning,  leaving  the  wounds  ragged,  and  there- 
by admitting  water  into  the  wood,  which  soon  begins 
to  decay ;  and  also  from  injuries  sustained  by  the 
bark  being  bruised  by  ladders  while  gathering  the 
fruit.  In  careless  pruning,  the  dead  shoots  are  often 
left  upon  the  tree,  throughout  the  summer,  which 


DISEASES INJURIOUS    INSECTS,   ETC.  11 

often  brings  on  the  canker.  The  exuding  of  gum, 
a  kind  of  gangrene  incident  to  stone  fruit,  may 
be  owing,  in  some  degree,  to  injudicious  pruning, 
bruises,  or  injuries  received  in  the  wood  or  bark,  or 
by  cutting  the  shoots  to  short  stumps  in  summer.  It 
is  often  seen  where  large  limbs  have  been  lopped  or 
broken  off.  Among  the  insects  destructive  to  our 
trees,  the  borer  worm  is  the  most  annoying ;  and  we 
know  of  no  better  method  to  adopt  for  his  extirpa- 
tion, than  that  recommended  some  time  since  by 
A.  J.  Downing,  of  Newburgh,  which  is  to  examine 
the  trees  in  early  spring,  as  also  in  the  fall,  and  cut- 
ting them  out.  The  method  we  adopt  as  a  pre- 
ventive to  their  again  entering,  described  under 
the  article  "  Peach,"  we  believe  to  be  one  of  the 
most  effective.  After  cutting  out  these  worms,  as 
also  all  decayed  wood  from  hollow  wounds,  the 
holes  should  be  covered  from  the  heat  and  moisture 
by  applying  the  following  composition,  which  will 
ordinarily  prevent  further  decay.  It  is  given  thus  : 
Take  one  pound  of  Burgundy  pitch,  half  a  pound  of 
beeswax,  and  one  pound  of  tallow,  melted  and 
spread  upon  brown  paper  or  cotton  cloth,  (the  latter 
is  preferable)  and  applied  closely  to  the  wound. 
This  compound  we  use  also  for  grafting,  as  it  will 
ordinarily  resist  the  force  of  rain,  frost,  drying  winds, 
and  the  influence  of  a  changeable  atmosphere.  With 
regard  to  what  is  called  fire-blight,  which  occasion- 
ally affects  the  pear  tree  during  the  months  of  June 
and  July,  causing  the  branch  to  wither,  and  which 
may  be  caused  by  forcing,  or  high  manuring,  we 


12  FRUIT    BOOK. 

having  never  as  yet  had  any  trees  affected  by  it,  can 
only  give  the  directions  of  others,  which  is  to  cut  off 
at  once  the  limb  just  below  the  affected  part. 

USE  OF  SALT,  ASHES,  AND  CLAY. 

We  commenced  our  experiments  upon  the  use  of 
salt  and  saline  substances  four  years  since,  particu- 
larly with  the  plum  tree,  and  have  succeeded  to  our 
utmost  expectation,  having  had  for  the  last  two  sea- 
sons of  1832  and  1833,  good  crops  of  fruit,  where 
heretofore  we  rarely  obtained  a  crop  of  one  variety. 
Our  land  being  of  a  light  loam,  exceedingly  porous, 
and  consequently  subject  to  drought,  we  applied, 
early  in  the  spring,  upwards  of  one  hundred  bushels 
of  leached,  or  spent  ashes,  to  about  two  thirds  of  an 
acre,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  soil  into  a  more 
retentive  nature.  We  did  not,  however,  observe 
much  effect  produced  that  summer ;  but  in  the  follow- 
ing spring,  on  applying  nearly  two  hogsheads  of  salt 
upon  the  same  land,  throwing  it  broad-cast  over  the 
whole  ground,  and  around  the  trees,  turning  it  un- 
der the  soil  a  fortnight  after  spreading  it,  this  ap- 
peared to  make  a  decided  change  in  the  nature  of 
the  soil,  it  being  less  subject  to  drought,  and  having 
a  better  crop  of  fruit  generally,  particularly  of  plums, 
which  induced  us,  in  the  following  spring,  to  apply 
around  our  plum  trees,  as  also  the  quince,  as  far  as 
the  branches  extended,  the  same  material,  placing 
two  thirds  more  to  the  plum  than  to  the  quince. 
Salt,  as  well  as  saltpetre,  is  destructive  to  insects 


USE  OF  SALT,  ASHES,  AND  CLAY.        13 

generally,  and  as  it  is,  when  applied  in  proper  pro- 
portion, an  excellent  manure,  particularly  to  light 
soil.  We  recommended  to  an  individual,  some 
three  or  four  years  since,  who  was  complaining  of 
the  loss  of  his  plums  by  the  curculio,  to  dig  away  the 
soil  around  his  trees  early  in  the  spring,  as  far  as  the 
branches  extended,  even  to  the  laying  bare  the  top 
roots,  and  filling  the  hole  with  dock  mud,  green 
from  the  sea  shore.  After  this  experiment,  he  in- 
formed us  that  his  trees  produced  more  plums  the 
year  following  than  they  had  done  for  ten  years 
previous.  We  have  used  brine  upon  gooseberry 
and  currant  bushes,  for  the  destruction  of  insects, 
with  decided  benefit,  by  dissolving  salt  in  water, 
in  the  proportion  of  one  pound  to  about  four  gal- 
lons. We,  however,  proportion  this  mixture  ac- 
cording to  the  state  of  the  plant  upon  which  we 
use  it;  thus,  for  the  gooseberry,  we  applied  early 
in  the  spring,  before  the  leaves  or  shoots  were  at  all 
developed,  a  decoction  so  strong  as  to  whiten  the 
branches  without  injuring  the  future  crop  of  fruit ; 
but  on  the  contrary,  after  the  development  of  the 
buds  or  leaves,  we  use  the  proportion  named  in  the 
article  "  Gooseberry." 

We  have  used  clay  to  a  portion  of  our  soil,  with 
decided  benefit,  by  applying  it  late  in  the  fall,  upon 
the  surface,  exposing  it  to  the  action  of  the  frost, 
and  when  meliorated  in  the  spring,  digging  it  in. 
2 


14  FRUIT    BOOK. 


GRAFTING. 

The  origin  of  grafting  is  lost  in  the  obscurity  of 
antiquity.  The  art  w  as  carried  to  a  great  extent  in 
Italy  about  the  time  of  the  Christian  era.  The  va- 
rieties best  known,  and  most  generally  in  use  are, 
whip,  or  tongue  grafting,  side,  or  bark  grafting,  cleft 
grafting,  and  saddle  grafting.  The  French  have, 
with  their  usual  faculty  of  invention,  enlarged  this 
number  to  a  great  extent.  Professor  Thoin  has  de- 
scribed above  forty  methods  of  grafting.  Inarching, 
or  grafting  by  approach,  is  another  modification  of 
this  art.  In  the  spring  of  1840  we  restored  a  dwarf 
pear  tree,  which  was  nearly,  or  quite  dead  from  the 
root  to  three  inches  above  the  ground,  by  planting 
around  it  four  or  five  seedling  pear  stocks,  and  in- 
arching their  tops  into  the  living  bark  eight  inches 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  In  the  following 
fall  this  tree  bore  nearly  half  a  peck  of  the  green 
sugar  pear.  The  cleft,  or  stock  grafting,  is  the  most 
generally  practised  in  New  England,  and  the  whip, 
or  tongue  grafting,  is  the  mode  in  use  in  the  best 
fruit-tree  nurseries  in  England.  The  former  me- 
thod is  performed  in  the  following  manner  :  —  The 
head  of  the  stock  or  branch  being  cut  off,  a  slit  is 
made  in  the  top  deep  enough  to  receive  the  scion, 
which  should  be  cut  sloping,  like  a  wedge,  so  as  to 
fit  the  slit  made  in  the  stock.  Care  must  be  taken 
that  the  side  of  the  wedge  which  is  to  be  placed 
outward  be  thicker  than  the  other,  and  in  placing 


GRAFTING.  1 5 

the  scion  into  the  slit  it  must  be  so  adjusted  that  the 
rind  of  the  scion  join  that  of  the  stock ;  the  whole 
should  then  be  clayed,  or  covered  with  grafting  wax, 
to  keep  out  the  air.  The  other  method,  whip,  or 
tongue  grafting,  so  called  from  the  manner  of  cut- 
ting both  the  stock  and  scion  in  a  sloping  direction 
on  one  of  their  sides,  so  that  when  brought  together 
they  fit  exactly,  and  thus  may  be  tied  together  in  the 
manner  of  a  whip-thong  to  the  handle.  In  former 
times  this  species  of  grafting  was  performed  without 
a  slit  or  tongue,  and  in  that  case  the  former  term 
was  more  applicable.  Subsequent  practice  has  ad- 
ded the  slit  or  tongue,  which  has  not  inaptly  given 
rise  to  the  latter  term.  In  performing  the  first, 
nothing  more  is  required  than  merely  to  cut  ob- 
liquely at  corresponding  angles  to  the  stock  and 
scion,  as  that  when  the  incisions  are  brought  to- 
gether, they  fit  exactly  ;  then  the  inner  barks  of  both 
being  brought  to  unite,  on  one  side  at  least,  a  union 
takes  place.  The  other  variety  of  this  mode,  that  is 
tongue  grafting,  is  performed  as  follows :  —  The 
scion  and  stock  being  cut  off  obliquely  at  corres- 
ponding angles,  cut  off  the  tip  of  the  stock  obliquely, 
or  nearly  horizontally  ;  make  now  a  slit  nearly  in  the 
centre  of  the  sloping  face  of  the  stock  downwards, 
and  a  similar  one  in  the  scion,  upwards ;  the  tongue 
or  wedge-like  process  forming  the  upper  part  of  the 
sloping  face  of  the  scion,  is  then  inserted  downwards 
in  the  cleft  of  the  stock,  the  inner  barks  of  both  be- 
ing brought  closely  to  unite  on  one  side.  Saddle 
grafting  is  another  method  well  adapted  for  standard 


16 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


trees,  particularly  when  the  stock  is  not  much  larger 
in  diameter  than  the  scions  to  be  put  on  them.  In 
performing  this  operation,  the  head  of  the  stock  is  cut 
in  a  wedge-like  form ;  the  scion  is  then  split  up  the 
middle,  after  which  each  half  is  pared  off  to  a  tongue 
shape,  and  is  then  placed  on  the  wedge-shaped  top 
of  the  stock,  taking  care  that  the  inner  bark  of  both 
stock  and  scion  join  on  one  side  at  least ;  the  whole 
is  then  tied  fast  with  bast  matting  and  covered  with 
waxed  paper. 

Grafting  under  the  bark  in  spring,  when  the  bark 
will  separate  from  the  wood,  in  the  manner  of  bud- 
ding, we  have  practised  for  many  years,  with  good 
success.  The  following  are  the  different  varieties 
of  this  mode. 


*  —  »* 

sjf* 


iP2: 


J?  H 

er  s? 


0.-3    O 

B5--  3 

fif 

!1 

Fo 

5"  ^ 


?3 

•§  3' 
•0-ra 


In  these  several  modifications  of  bark  grafting,  the 
lower  end  of  the  scion  must  be  pared  off,  and  then 
applied  closely  to  the  wood  under  the  bark.  Root 
grafting,  which  is  seldom  practised  upon  fruit  trees, 
is  sometimes  resorted  to  when  stocks  are  scarce  ; 


BUDDING,    OR    INOCULATION.  17 

the  mode  of  performing  this  is  generally  by  cleft 
grafting.  We  prefer,  however,  the  whip,  or  tongue 
method.  Our  practice  would  be,  after  cutting  the 
roots  into  lengths  of  about  six  inches,  well  furnished 
with  fibres,  then  with  a  sharp  knife  commence  by  ac- 
curately fitting  each  scion,  covering  the  cut  part  with 
brown  paper  or  cotton  cloth,  which  has  been  previous- 
ly covered  with  grafting  wax.  Last  spring  we  engraft- 
ed the  pear  upon  roots  of  the  quince,  and  immedi- 
ately set  them  out,  covering  them  to  within  two  buds 
of  the  scion.  Nearly  all  made  a  good  growth  the 
past  summer.  In  this  mode  of  grafting  care  must 
be  taken  that  the  roots  are  kept  moist. 

In  the  choice  of  scions  we  usually  select  those 
from  the  young  wood  of  the  previous  season's 
growth,  choosing  them  from  the  outside  lateral 
branches  in  preference  to  those  growing  in  the 
centre.  These  should  be  cut  from  the  parent  tree 
some  time  previous  to  the  season  for  grafting,  as  it 
is  found  to  be  better  that  the  stock  should  be  in  a 
more  advanced  state  of  vegetation  than  the  scion. 

BUDDING,  OR  INOCULATION. 

Budding  differs  from  grafting  in  this,  that  a 
portion  of  a  stem  is  not  made  to  strike  root  on 
another  stem,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  a  bud  is 
introduced  beneath  the  bark  of  the  stock,  and  there 
induced  to  strike  root.  Budding  is  commonly  prac- 
tised upon  stone  fruits,  such  as  peaches,  cherries, 
and  plums,  and,  provided  the  stock  is  small,  we 

2* 


18  FRUIT    BOOK. 

think  it  preferable  to  grafting  for  nearly  all  kinds  of 
fruit.  The  object  in  budding  is  the  same  as  in 
grafting,  and  depends  on  the  same  principle ;  all 
the  difference  between  a  bud  and  a  scion  is,  that  a 
bud  is  a  shoot  or  scion  in  embryo.  When  grafting 
has  been  omitted  or  has  failed  in  spring,  budding 
comes  in  as  an  auxiliary  in  summer.  The  season 
for  performing  this  operation  upon  pears  and  apples 
is  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the  last  of  August, 
but  upon  stone  fruits  the  month  of  September  is 
early  enough  to  perform  this  operation  ;  for  when 
these  are  budded  too  early,  they  are  apt  to  shoot 
the  same  year,  which  shoots,  being  weakly,  are 
either  killed  in  the  winter,  or,  if  they  escape  the 
frost,  they  never  make  much  progress.  It  is  always 
better  that  the  buds  should  remain  dormant  until 
spring,  when  they  will  shoot  forth  with  vigor.  The 
buds  used  are  found  in  the  axillae  of  the  leaf  of  the 
present  year ;  the  best  buds  are  those  on  the  middle 
of  a  young  shoot,  not  those  at  the  lower  end.  Stocks 
for  budding  may,  in  general,  be  much  smaller  than 
for  grafting,  as  the  operation  may  be  performed  on 
the  same  year's  shoot.  The  French  enumerate 
twenty-three  varieties  of  budding ;  but  the  variety 
in  general  use  with  us  is  the  following,  called  shield 
or  T  budding.  It  is  thus  performed :  —  Select  a 
smooth  part  of  the  stock ;  then  with  the  budding- 
knife  make  a  horizontal  cut  across  the  bark,  quite 
through  to  the  firm  wood  ;  from  the  middle  of  this 
transverse  cut  make  a  slit  downwards,  an  inch  or 
more  long,  going  also  quite  through  to  the  wood ; 


BUDDING    OR     INOCULATION.  19 

this  done,  proceed  to  cut  out  from  the  scion  the 
bud,  cutting  nearly  half  way  into  the  wood ;  should 
the  stock  be  small  upon  which  you  are  operating, 
you  can  take  out  the  wood  from  the  bud  with  the 
thumb  nail  or  point  of  the  knife,  observing  that  the 
eye  or  germ  of  the  bud  remains  perfect ;  if  not,  and 
a  little  hole  appears  on  the  under  part,  it  is  imper- 
fect, or,  as  gardeners  express  it,  the  bud  has  lost  its 
root,  and  another  must  be  prepared.  We,  however, 
very  rarely  take  out  the  wood,  but  insert  the  bud 
with  the  wood  attached.  There  are  precautions,  as 
Lindley  justly  observes,  in  budding  as  in  grafting. 
"  It  is  indispensable  that  the  bud  which  is  employed 
should  be  fully  formed,  or  what  gardeners  call  ripe. 
If  it  is  imperfectly  formed  or  unripe,  it  may  not  be 
capable  of  that  subsequent  elongation  upwards  and 
downwards,  upon  which  the  whole  success  of  the 
practice  depends.  Great  care  should  be  taken  in 
raising  the  bark  for  the  insertion  of  the  bud,  that 
the  cambium  be  not  disturbed  or  injured.  This 
cambium  is  a  secretion  between  the  wood  and  the 
bark."  Seedling  trees,  which  were  budded  in  the 
summer,  should  in  the  following  spring,  when  the 
bud  commences  pushing,  be  cut  off  slanting,  to 
within  three  inches  of  the  bud,  and  not  until  the 
second  season  be  finished,  or  the  snag  cut  smoothly 
to  the  bud  or  shoot.  Budding  generally  succeeds 
best  when  performed  in  cloudy  weather,  or  in  the 
morning  or  evening ;  for  the  great  power  of  the 
mid-day  sun  is  apt  to  dry  and  shrink  the  cuttings 
and  buds. 


«0  FRUIT    BOOK. 

RAISING  FRUIT  TREES  FROM  SEEDS. 

Pear  trees  for  stocks  are  raised  from  seeds  sown 
usually  in  the  fall.  The  most  successful  experiment 
in  this  method,  which  has  come  under  own  observa- 
tion, was  that  of  Allen  W.  Dodge,  Esq.,  of  Hamilton, 
for  which  he  received  the  first  premium  of  the  Essex 
Agricultural  Society  in  1843.  The  following  was 
his  method  of  culture : 

"  In  the  fall  of  1840  I  procured  a  lot  of  pumice  of 
the  small  choke  pears,  which  I  sowed  in  drills  on  a 
dry  sandy  spot  of  ground.  The  seed  came  up  well 
the  following  spring,  and  the  trees  made  the  first 
season  an  average  growth  of  one  foot.  Being 
warned  by  others  of  the  danger  to  which  they  would 
be  exposed  during  winter,  I  was  inclined  to  use 
some  method  to  protect  them.  One  advised  to  take 
them  up,  and  keep  them  duiing  the  cold  weather  in 
the  cellar ;  another  proposed  to  cover  them  with 
sea-weed  or  tan  ;  and  a  third  suggested  still  another 
course  of  treatment.  As  I  knew  not  which  method 
to  adopt,  I  determined  to  let  them  take  their  chance 
and  winter  it  out  just  as  they  stood.  The  result 
was,  that  no  injury  whatever  befell  them  ;  not  one 
tree  was  destroyed  by  the  cold  or  frost,  or  by  any 
other  cause. 

"  The  following  spring  I  removed  the  trees  into 
rows  in  the  nursery,  first  taking  off  a  part  of  the  tap 
root.  This  I  found  to  be  of  great  length,  nearly 
one  third  longer  than  the  tree  itself.  This  length  of 
root  may  have  kept  the  trees  from  being  thrown  out 


RAISING    FRUIT    TREES    FROM    SEEDS.  1 

of  the  ground  by  the  frost,  which,  as  I  am  in- 
formed, is  one  principal  cause  of  the  destruction  in 
winter  of  young  pear  trees.  As  they  make  but  few 
lateral  roots,  they  are  of  course  more  exposed  to 
such  an  injury  than  other  kinds  of  young  trees. 
Now  if  the  tap  root  strikes  deep,  it  has  the  stronger 
hold  upon  the  soil ;  and  if  it  reaches  below  the 
frost,  it  would  seem  to  be  entirely  removed  beyond 
its  action.  My  soil  being  very  light,  the  roots  of 
the  trees  had  no  difficulty  in  extending  to  the  length 
I  have  mentioned. 

"  Another  benefit,  as  it  seems  to  me,  of  a  light 
sandy  soil  for  young  pear  trees  is  this,  that  being  so 
porous,  it  is  less  retentive  of  moisture  than  stiff  and 
strong  soils,  which  is  the  kind  of  soils  upon  which 
pear  trees  are  usually  attempted  to  be  raised.  The 
wetter  the  soil,  the  greater  would  seem  to  be  the 
action  upon  it  of  the  frost.  It  would  freeze  and 
thaw,  in  early  spring,  with  greater  violence  to  the 
young  roots ;  such  soil  would  heave  more  than  a 
dry  one,  and  in  heaving  would  at  length  throw  the 
tree  up  by  the  roots,  and  expose  it  to  the  winds  and 
weather. 

"  The  season  after  being  transplanted,  the  trees 
made  a  vigorous  growth.  The  principal  dressing 
which  they  received  was  ashes  applied  occasionally 
in  small  quantities  and  in  its  unspent  state.  In 
August  of  that  season,  the  second  of  their  growth,  I 
budded  about  six  hundred  of  the  trees ;  the  rest, 
not  being  of  sufficient  size  for  that  purpose,  were 
left  unbudded.  The  ground  upon  which  they  then 


22  FRUIT    BOOK. 

and  have  since  stood,  is  similar  to  that  in  which  the 
seed  was  originally  sown,  light  and  sandy  ;  the  trees 
have  received  no  injury  whatever  from  the  winter  or 
early  spring.  I  am  not  aware  that  a  single  tree  of 
the  lot  has  ever  been  thrown  up  or  killed -by  the 
frost,  and  they  have  never  received  any  protection 
but  from  the  hand  of  nature  herself. 

"  My  budded  trees  have  made  a  fine  growth  the 
past  season ;  averaging  perhaps  four  feet,  some 
reaching  to  nearly  six  feet  in  height.  The  trees  are 
healthy  and  vigorous,  and  prove  most  plainly  that 
it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  import  pear  stocks  from 
France,  when  they  can  be  raised,  as  mine  have 
been,  at  home." 

In  raising  peach  trees  from  the  stone,  our  method 
has  been,  to  expose  the  stones  to  the  frosts  of 
winter,  and  sow  in  the  following  spring.  In  the  fall 
of  1841  we  thus  exposed  half  a  bushel  of  stones  to 
the  frost,  by  placing  them  in  a  shallow  hole  in  the 
ground,  slightly  covered  with  earth,  where  they 
remained  until  the  spring ;  we  then  cracked  them 
carefully,  and  sowed  in  rows  on  the  13th  of  April, 
1842,  in  a  light  loamy  soil.  These  grew  well,  and 
on  the  first  week  in  September,  of  the  same  season, 
we  budded  nine  hundred  out  of  one  thousand 
trees. 

ON  PRESERVING  PEARS. 

Upon  the  methods  resorted  to  for  keeping  the 
finest  kinds  of  pears,  much  has  been  written  of  late 


ON    PRESERVING    PEARS. 

years.  Summer  fruit,  those  particulair^which 
ripen  upon  the  tree,  require  to  be  carefully  gathered 
and  placed  in  a  well-ventilated  and  cool  room. 
The  autumn  and  winter  fruit  are  preserved  with 
more  difficulty.  It  has  been  generally  admitted  that 
our  winter  sorts  should  remain  upon  the  trees  as 
long  as  possible,  requiring  all  the  ripening  our 
climate  will  afford,  which  is  undoubtedly  the  case. 
It  has  been  recently  suggested  that  our  winter  table 
pears  should  be  gathered  earlier  than  we  have 
heretofore  done  it,  from  the  fact  that  many  varieties 
which  were  gathered  the  past  season  of  1843,  in 
October,  ripened  better  than  those  of  the  same 
kinds  left  upon  the  trees  a  month  later.  We  found 
such  to  be  the  case  with  the  "  Lewis,"  and  also 
with  the  "  Bleeker's  Meadow."  The  secret,  we 
apprehend,  is,  however,  not  so  much  in  their  being 
thus  early  gathered,  but  that  they  were  kept  in  a 
uniformly  warmer  temperature.  The  remarks  of 
T.  A.  Knight,  the  most  practical  pomologist  of 
modern  times,  we  think  rational.  He  says,  "  In 
order  to  ripen  our  fine  pears,  they  should  be  placed 
in  a  dry  and  warm  atmosphere." 

A  writer,  (Mr.  Walker,)  in  the  January  number 
of  Hovey's  excellent  Magazine,  writes  :  —  "  The 
specimens  (pears)  which  were  matured  in  a  close 
desk,  the  temperature  of  the  room  being  kept  from 
sixty  to  seventy  degrees  of  heat  during  the  day,  and 
fifty  to  fifty-five  during  the  night,  were  all  very 
much  superior  to  those  which  matured  in  a  room  of 
lower  temperature. 


24  FRUIT    BOOK. 

Much  difference  of  opinion  exists  in  regard  to 
the  necessity  or  advantage  of  sweating  fruit  previous 
to  its  being  packed.  Some  disapprove  of  the  prac- 
tice, and  say  that  the  flavor  is  thereby  considerably 
injured,  and  that  the  fruit  does  not  keep  so  well ; 
while  others  contend,  and  not  without  apparent 
reason,  that,  by  getting  rid  of  a  portion  of  moisture, 
the  fruit  keeps  better,  and  retains  its  natural  flavor 
uninjured. 

THE  APPLE. 

Of  all  the  fruit  produced  in  our  climate,  com- 
prising such  an  extensive  variety,  none  is  brought  to 
so  great  perfection  and  with  so  little  trouble,  as  the 
apple.  The  duration  of  the  apple  tree  is  supposed 
by  Knight  to  be  two  hundred  years.  The  soil  best 
adapted  for  the  apple,  says  Rogers,  is  that  of  a  soft 
loam,  containing  some  sand ;  a  great  depth  is  not 
requisite,  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  being  quite 
enough,  provided  it  be  on  a  dry  sub-soil.  If  the 
bottom  soil  is  wet,  the  trees  should  be  set  shallow, 
and  the  ground  drained.  Apple  trees  do  not  thrive 
if  the  roots  enter  into  a  cold  substratum. 

Autumnal  planting  we  prefer  in  light  soil,  and 
spring  planting  on  those  of  a  strong  and  wet  nature. 
In  forming  a  collection  of  fruits,  it  has  been  justly 
observed,  that  it  is  better  to  be  contented  with  a 
few  good  kinds,  that  produce  well  in  most  seasons, 
than  to  plant  those  for  the  sake  of  variety,  of  which 
perhaps  a  crop  may  be  obtained  once  in  three  or 


APPLES.  25 

four  years.  The  Secretary  of  the  London  Horticul- 
tural Society,  in  speaking  of  the  mania  for  increas- 
ing varieties,  says,  that  their  catalogue  of  apples 
"  contains  one  thousand  four  hundred  kinds,  three 
fourths  of  which  are  probably  the  same  fruits  under 
different  names,  or  are  unworthy  of  cultivation." 

In  making  a  selection  of  apples,  we  should  en- 
deavor to  fix  upon  those  which  are  found  to  suit  our 
latitude.  Many  varieties  of  apples,  which  are  first 
rate  in  quality  when  grown  in  our  southern  cities, 
—  for  example,  the  Newtown  Pippin,  and  Pen- 
nock's  Red  Winter  —  are  inferior  to  the  Lyscom, 
Fall  Harvey,  and  many  others,  when  grown  in  our 
soil.  Beecher,  of  Indianapolis,  In.,  says,  "  That 
the  soil  and  climate  so  modify  the  flavor  and  other 
qualities  of  the  apple,  that  there  is  some  reason  for 
believing  that  an  apple,  originating  on  any  given  soil, 
will  be  better  than  many  which  are  introduced  into 
it ;  for  though  the  apple  is  raised  with  great  facility 
in  almost  every  soil,  yet  it  is  probable  that  each 
variety  affects  a  particular  one.  Thus  I  perceive 
the  most  popular  apples  of  New  England  are 
natives  ;  for  example,  the  Rhode  Island  Greening, 
Hubbardston  Nonsuch,  Roxbury  Russet,  Baldwin, 
and  Minister.  This,  to  a  considerable  extent,  is 
true  of  the  West." 

Attention  should  also  be  had  in  the  selection  of 
sorts  suitable  to  their  destined  soils ;  as  some  varie- 
ties that  would  succeed  well  in  a  strong  clay,  would 
languish  in  a  poor  light  sandy  loam.  The  Baldwin, 
Yellow  Bellflower,  and  Swaar,  flourish  well  in  a  light 
3 


26 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


loamy  soil ;  on  the  contrary,  the  Ribstone  Pippin, 
Pickman  Pippin,  and  Red  Doctor,  require  that  of  a 
strong  and  retentive  nature.  In  planting  orchards, 
we  should  therefore  have  some  regard  to  these  cir- 
cumstances. 

A  selection  of  nineteen  varieties  we  would  recom- 
mend for  a  garden : 


Early  Harvest, 
Early  Sweet  Bough, 
Williams's    Favorite 
Red, 
Summer  Pearmain, 
Fall  Harvey, 
Lyscom, 

Drap  d'Or, 
Porter, 
Boxford, 
Yellow  Bellflower, 
Hubbardston  Nonsuch  , 
Pickman  Pippin, 
Baldwin, 

Danvers  Winter  Sweet 
Swaar, 
Minister, 
Roxbury  Russet 
Superb  Sweet, 
Ramsdel's  Red  Pump- 
kin Sweet. 

APPLES. 

No.  1.  Early  Harvest.  — This  is  the  earliest  ap- 
ple worthy  of  cultivation :  the  form  is  flat,  of  medium 
size  ;  the  skin,  when  perfectly  ripe,  is  of  a  beautifully 
bright  straw  color ;  the  flesh  tender  and  sprightly ; 
if  gathered  before  they  are  fully  ripe,  it  has  too  much 
acidity.  The  finest  fruits  are  those  which  drop  ripe 
from  the  tree  ;  the  branches  make  very  acute  angles, 
by  which  it  is  readily  distinguished  from  most  other 
trees  in  the  orchard ;  it  bears  young.  Ripe  in  July 
and  August. 

No.  2.  Early  Bough.  —  This  is  a  large  hand- 
some apple,  the  form  sometimes  oblong,  the  skin  a 
pale  yellow,  often  with  a  bright  red  tinge,  the  flesh 


APPLES.  XI 

sweet  and  tender ;  it  is  a  good  bearer,  and  deserves 
extensive  cultivation.     Ripe  in  August. 

[No.  2  is  decidedly  the  finest  early  sweet  apple  of  its  season, 
It  is  called,  in  some  parts  of  New  England,  "  Washington."] 

No.  3.  American  Red  Juneating.  —  This  apple 
is  of  medium  size,  oblong ;  the  skin  is  a  beautiful 
red,  slightly  streaked  and  mixed  with  yellow ;  the 
flesh  is  rich,  sprightly  and  good ;  the  tree  is  of  up- 
right growth ;  it  bears  well  and  ripens  in  August. 
Although  it  bears  the  name  of  American  Red  June- 
ating, we  have  strong  doubts  of  its  having  origina- 
ted in  this  country  ;  we  think  it  may  be  the  striped 
Juneating  of  Ronald. 

No.  4.  Summer  Queen.  —  A  large  oblong  apple, 
striped  with  red  on  a  yellow  ground ;  the  flesh  is 
yellow,  very  high  flavored,  and  excellent.  The  tree 
is  of  vigorous  growth,  and  a  great  bearer.  Ripe  in 
August, 

No.  5.  Early  Red  Margaret.  —  A  middle  sized 
apple ;  the  shape  round,  somewhat  flat ;  the  skin  a 
greenish  yellow,  striped  with  dark  red;  the  flesh 
white,  juicy,  and  agreeable ;  it  bears  early  and 
abundantly.  Ripe  the  middle  of  August. 

No.  6.  Summer  Rose.  —  A  very  beautiful  and 
excellent  fruit ;  the  size  is  moderate,  the  form  round, 
the  skin  yellow,  striped,  and  mottled  with  red  ;  the 
flesh  is  sweet,  juicy,  and  fine.  Ripe  in  August.  A 
great  bearer. 


28  FHUIT    BOOK. 

No.  7.  Summer  Pearmain.  —  This  apple  is  of 
medium  size,  the  form  oblong  and  very  regular  ;  the 
skin  a  dark  red,  striped  with  a  small  proportion  of 
yellow ;  the  flesh  very  tender  and  good,  juice  not 
abundant.  It  is  one  of  our  finest  summer  apples ; 
bears  abundantly,  and  ripens  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember. 

No.  8.  Rambour  d'Ete.  —  This  apple  is  of  large 
size  and  flat  form ;  the  skin  light  red,  striped  with 
yellow  ;  the  flesh  is  firm,  rich  and  sprightly ;  the 
trees  assume  a  spreading  form  of  vigorous  growth, 
and  great  productiveness.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  9.  Fall  Harvey.  —  This  is  a  large  and  hand- 
some fruit,  the  shape  flat  with  broad  ribs  extending 
from  the  stem  to  the  eye ;  the  skin  sometimes  a 
clear  bright  yellow,  but  mostly  a  light  yellow,  occa- 
sionally with  a  bright  red  cheek ;  the  flesh  yel- 
low, firm,  rich  and  high  flavored ;  it  is  much  culti- 
vated in  Essex  county,  Mass.,  where  it  may  have 
originated.  It  is  without  question  the  finest  fall  and 
early  winter  apple.  A  good  bearer,  and  deserving 
extensive  cultivation. 

No.  10.  Drap  d'Or.  —  A  large  flat  apple,  of  a 
bright,  but  pale  yellow  color,  covered  all  over  with 
small  black  pips,  (never  with  a  red  cheek)  ;  the  flesh 
is  tender,  very  light  and  pleasant ;  the  growth  of 
the  tree  is  large  and  spreading ;  it  bears  well,  and 
should  be  found  in  every  good  collection.  Ripe  in 


APPLES. 

September  and  October.     This  is  the  Drap  d'Or  of 
Cox  and  Ronald,  but  not  of  Duhamel. 

[No.  10  commands  a  high  price  in  our  market.] 

No.  11.  Hawthornden.  —  This  fruit  is  of  me- 
dium size ;  of  a  flat  and  very  regular  form,  and 
remarkably  handsome ;  skin  of  a  pale  yellow,  nearly 
white,  with  a  brilliant  red  on  the  side  exposed  to  the 
sun ;  the  flesh  white,  very  juicy,  but  not  high  fla- 
vored. It  bears  very  young,  and  most  abundantly, 
every  year ;  it  is  one  of  the  best  market  fruits  in  the 
fall  and  early  winter  months. 

[This  variety  is  cultivated  in  Pennsylvania  under  the  name 
of  "Maiden's  Blush."] 

No.  12.  Williams' s  Favorite  Red.  —  This  apple 
originated  in  Roxbury,  Mass.  It  is  of  medium  size, 
oblong  form,  the  skin  a  bright  and  deep  red,  the  fla- 
vor pleasant  and  agreeable.  It  is  a  good  bearer  and 
a  most  beautiful  fruit,  ripening  in  August. 

[This  variety  is  said  to  require  a  strong  soil.] 

No.  13.  Benoni.  —  This  fine  and  beautiful  ap- 
ple was  introduced  to  notice  by  E.  M.  Richards,  Esq. 
of  Dedham.  It  is  of  medium  size,  form  round  and 
regular,  the  flesh  yellow,  high  flavored  and  excellent. 
It  bears  well,  ripens  in  July  and  August,  and  should 
be  found  in  every  good  collection. 

No.  14.  Red  Doctor  Apple.  —  A  large  and 
handsome  fruit,  of  a  flat  form ;  striped  and  clouded 


30  FRUIT    BOOK. 

with  red,  on  a  yellow  ground ;  the  flesh  is  tender, 
breaking  and  high  flavored.  It  bears  well,  and 
ripens  from  October  to  December. 

[This  apple  is  small  in  our  soil,  and  indifferent  in  quality.] 

No.  15.  Boxford.  —  This  apple  was  first  culti- 
vated in  Boxford,  Essex  county,  where  it  may  have 
originated.  The  size  is  middling,  form  round,  skin 
striped  with  red  and  yellow ;  the  flesh  yellow,  rich 
and  good.  Ripens  in  the  fall  months,  and  is  thought 
to  be  a  fine  apple. 

No.  16.  Red  Astracan.  —  This  beautiful  apple 
is  of  medium  size,  of  a  round  and  rather  flat  form ; 
the  skin  is  dark  red,  covered  with  a  thick  bloom  like 
a  plum ;  the  flesh  is  white,  tender,  and  good,  some- 
what acid;  it  keeps  but  a  short  time  after  being 
gathered,  but  the  beauty  of  the  fruit,  and  its  early 
and  great  bearing,  render  it  desirable  in  every  col- 
lection, especially  if  intended  for  the  market.  Ripe 
in  August. 

No.  17.  Oslin.  —  This  apple  is  of  medium  size, 
the  form  flat  and  regular,  the  skin  a  bright  yellow, 
with  some  dark  clouded  spots ;  the  flesh  firm,  of  a 
brisk  and  high  flavor.  It  bears  young  and  most 
abundantly,  and  ripens  in  September. 

No.  18.  Kilham  Hill.  —  Originated  on  the  farm 
of  Doctor  Kilham,  in  Wenham,  Essex  county,  Mass. 
The  size  is  sometimes  large,  the  form  round,  a  little 


APPLES.  31 

oblong ;  the  skin  yellow,  striped  with  red ;  the  flesh 
is  yellow  and  high  flavored,  but  soon  becomes  dry  j 
it  bears  young  and  constantly,  and  ripens  from  Sep- 
tember to  November.  The  tree  is  of  a  spreading, 
but  not  regular  form,  and  may  be  known  by  small 
warts  or  protuberances  on  the  bark. 

No.  19.  Ly scorn.  —  This  apple  originated  in 
Southborough,  Mass.  It  is  of  medium  size,  rather 
oblong,  and  very  regular;  the  skin  dull  red  with 
greenish  yellow.  The  flesh  is  not  high  flavored,  but 
of  a  peculiarly  mild  and  agreeable  taste.  It  bears 
well,  ripens  in  October,  and  will  sometimes  keep 
till  January. 

[No.  19  is  called  "  Osgood's  Favorite,"  in  Essex  county, 
and  "  Mathis's  Stripe,"  in  Worcester  county.  It  is  a  superior 
variety,  particularly  when  grown  in  strong  soil.] 

No.  20.  Porter.  —  Originated  on  the  farm  of 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Porter,  in  Sherburne,  Mass.  The 
fruit  is  sometimes  large,  the  shape  oblong,  pointed 
at  the  blossom  end ;  the  skin  of  a  bright  yellow, 
often  with  a  blush  of  red  on  the  sunny  side ;  the 
flesh  fine,  sprightly  and  agreeable.  It  bears  well, 
ripens  in  September  and  October,  and  is  a  most 
beautiful  fruit,  either  for  the  market  or  private 
garden. 

No.  21.  Duchess  of  Oldenburg.  —  A  valuable 
and  handsome  apple,  said  to  be  of  Russian  origin. 
The  size  is  middling,  form  round  and  rather  flat ; 


32  FRUIT    BOOK. 

skin  of  a  beautiful  yellow,  striped  with  red ;  flavor 
very  pleasant  and  good.  It  bears  well,  and  ripens 
in  September  and  October. 

No.  22.  Yellow  Ingestrie.  —  A  beautiful  apple, 
raised  by  Mr.  Knight,  President  of  the  London 
Horticultural  Society.  The  size  is  small,  form  round 
and  regular ;  the  skin  of  a  golden  yellow,  with  some 
black  spots ;  the  flesh  yellow,  firm  and  delicate.  It 
is  an  abundant  bearer,  and  ripens  in  October. 

No.  23.  Red  Ingestrie.  —  This  apple  is  of  me- 
dium size,  of  a  round  form  ;  the  skin  bright  yellow, 
tinged  and  striped  with  red  on  the  side  exposed  to 
the  sun  ;  the  flesh  very  rich,  high  flavored  and  juicy. 
It  bears  well,  and  ripens  in  October. 

No.  24.  Franklin  Golden  Pippin.  —  This  apple 
is  supposed  to  be  of  American  origin  ;  it  is  of  middle 
size,  the  form  oval  and  very  regular  ;  the  skin  of 
rather  a  dark  yellow,  without  a  blush,  but  sprinkled 
with  dark-colored  specks  ;  the  flesh  yellow,  tender, 
and  very  agreeable  to  the  taste.  The  tree  grows 
well,  is  of  an  upright  form,  and  the  fruit  is  ripe  in 
October  and  November. 

No.  25.  Kerry  Pippin.  —  Fruit  of  medium 
size  ;  the  form  oblong,  flattened  at  the  eye  and 
stalk  ;  the  skin  a  bright  yellow,  striped  and  marbled 
with  red  ;  the  flesh  tender  and  high  flavored.  This 
is  a  most  beautiful  variety ;  it  bears  well,  and  ripens 
in  September  and  October. 


APPLES.  33 

No.  26.  Gravenstein.  —  Fruit  large;  the  form 
for  the  most  part  oblong,  sometimes  flat ;  the  skin 
of  a  light  yellow,  striped,  and  beautifully  mottled 
with  red ;  flesh  very  fine,  with  a  brisk  high  flavored 
juice.  This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  apples, 
ripening  in  October,  and  keeping  good  several 
months.  The  tree  is  of  a  strong  and  healthy  growth 
and  upright  form. 

No.  27.  Rib  stone  Pippin.  —  Fruit  sometimes 
large,  of  a  flat  form ;  the  skin  is  a  mixture  of  russet 
and  yellow,  with  dull  red  on  the  side  exposed  to  the 
sun ;  the  flesh  very  yellow  and  firm,  with  a  sharp, 
rich  flavor  ;  the  tree  is  of  a  spreading,  but  not  very 
regular  form  ;  it  bears  well,  and  ripens  in  the  fall 
and  early  winter  months. 

No.  28.  Golden  Russet.  —  The  origin  of  this 
apple  is  unknown ;  it  appears  to  have  been  first  cul- 
tivated in  Essex  county,  Mass.  The  fruit  is  of 
medium  size,  round,  rather  oblong,  and  of  a  regular 
form ;  the  skin  is  a  smooth  yellow  russet ;  flesh  re- 
markably tender,  spicy,  and  high  flavored.  The 
tree  is  very  upright  and  handsome  in  its  growth ; 
bears  abundantly ;  and  is  a  valuable  fruit,  ripening 
in  October,  November  and  December. 

No.  29.  Blue  Pearmain.  —  This  fruit  is  large, 
the  form  round,  the  skin  red,  striped  and  mottled 
with  darker  red,  and  covered  with  a  bloom  like  a 
plum ;  the  flesh  mild  and  agreeable.  This  is  a 


34 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


most  excellent  variety.     Ripe  in  October,  and  keep- 
ing till  February. 

No.  30.  Red  Quarenden.  —  Fruit  of  medium 
size,  of  a  flat  form ;  skin  a  very  dark  red  ;  flesh 
white,  juicy,  and  of  a  pleasant  flavor.  Ripe  in 
October  and  November. 

No.  31.  Wine  Apple.  —  Fruit  large,  round, 
sometimes  oblong ;  the  skin  a  bright  red,  striped 
with  a  little  yellow,  with  russet  round  the  stock; 
the  flesh  rich  and  pleasant ;  the  form  of  the  tree 
is  spreading ;  it  bears  young  and  abundantly, 
and  ripens  in  the  autumn  and  early  winter 
months. 

No.  32.  Fameuse.  —  Fruit  middle  size ;  of  a 
flat  form ;  skin  light  yellow  and  green,  mixed  with 
pale  red  and  dark  red  blotches  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  sun ;  flesh  remarkably  white,  tender,  juicy 
and  good.  This  is  a  very  handsome  apple.  The 
tree  bears  well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  from  October  to 
December. 

No.  33.  Menagere.  —  This  apple  is  said  to  be 
of  German  origin ;  it  is  the  largest  apple  we  have 
seen ;  the  form  flat,  in  shape  like  a  large  English 
turnip ;  the  skin  of  a  light  yellow  ;  the  flesh  pleas- 
ant, but  more  adapted  to  the  kitchen  than  the  des- 
sert. It  bears  well,  trained  as  a  dwarf,  and  ripens 
from  October  to  February. 


FRUIT    BOOK.  35 

No.  34.  Rhode  Island  Greening.  —  This  is  a 
well  known  and  favorite  apple ;  the  size  is  large,  the 
shape  round,  flat  at  the  end ;  the  eolor,  when  ripe, 
a  greenish  yellow;  the  flesh  yellow,  tender,  juicy 
and  rich.  The  growth  of  the  tree  is  vigorous  and 
spreading.  It  bears  well,  and  ripens  from  Novem- 
ber to  February. 

No.  35.  Lovett  Sweet.  —  This  apple  originated 
on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Lovett,  of  Beverly,  Essex  coun- 
ty, Mass.  It  is  of  medium  size,  the  form  round,  the 
skin,  when  ripe,  a  light  yellow  ;  the  flesh  rich,  sweet 
and  good.  It  is  highly  prized  as  a  winter  fruit. 

No.  36.  Murphy.  —  This  apple,  in  appearance, 
resembles  the  Blue  Pearmain ;  the  shape  is  more 
oblong,  the  size  not  so  large ;  the  skin  light  red, 
streaked  and  mottled  with  blotches  of  darker  red ; 
the  flesh  white,  tender  and  good.  It  is  in  use  from 
November  to  February.  Raised  from  seed  by  Mr. 
David  Murphy,  of  Salem,  Mass. 

No.  37/  Ortley  Pippen.  —  The  size  sometimes 
large,  the  form  oblong ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  a  bright 
yellow,  with  a  little  red  on  the  side  next  the  sun ; 
the  flesh  yellow,  breaking  and  high-flavored,  in  this 
respect  approaching  to  the  taste  of  the  Newton  Pip- 
pen  more  than  any  other  apple.  The  tree  assumes 
a  handsome,  spreading  form,  bears  well,  and  the 
fruit  ripens  from  December  to  March. 


00  FRUIT  BOOK. 

No.  38.  Newtown  Spitzenburg. —  The  size  is 
large,  the  form  round  and  regular,  the  skin  a  dark 
red,  striped,  streaked  with  shades  of  dull  red ;  the 
flesh  yellow,  rich  and  high  flavored.  A  most  beau- 
tiful and  valuable  apple.  In  perfection  from  Octo- 
ber till  February. 

No.  39.  White  Winter  Calville.  —  This  is  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  French  dessert  apples ;  the 
size  is  large,  the  form  flat,  with  ribs  extending  from 
the  stem  to  the  eye  ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  of  a  bright 
yellow,  sometimes  with  a  blush  of  pale  red  ;  the  flesh 
white,  tender  and  pleasant,  without  being  high-fla- 
vored. It  is  an  abundant  bearer,  and  the  fruit  ripens 
from  November  to  March. 

No.  40.  Pennocks.  —  This  is  a  large  apple  ;  the 
form  round,  rather  oblong;  the  skin  a  dull  red, 
slightly  streaked  with  yellow  ;  the  flesh  yellow,  sweet 
and  tender ;  good  for  the  table,  and  excellent  for 
baking.  The  tree  grows  to  a  large  size,  and  forms 
an  open  spreading  head.  It  bears  well  every  year, 
and  is  in  use  during  the  winter  months. 

[This  variety,  as  well  as  Nos.  31  and  38,  are  finer  apples 
when  grown  South,  than  with  us.J 

No.  41.  Baldwin.  —  This  fine  apple,  so  well 
known  in  New  England,  hardly  needs  a  description. 
It  is  of  medium  size,  the  form  round,  the  skin  mostly 
of  a  brilliant  red,  with  some  indistinct  yellow  streaks  ; 
in  some  situations  a  large  proportion  of  yellow ;  the 


APPLES.  37 

flesh  is  very  fine,  crisp,  juicy  and  rich.  It  bears 
abundantly  every  other  year,  keeps  well  through  the 
winter,  and  although  so  common,  it  will  bear  com- 
parison with  the  finest  of  the  new  varieties. 

No.  42.  Lady  Apple.  —  The  size  is  small,  the 
form  flat,  the  skin  at  maturity  is  a  bright  yellow, 
with  a  brilliant  red  cheek,  and  very  smooth ;  the 
flesh  white,  breaking,  mild  and  agreeable,  but  not 
high  flavored.  The  beautiful  appearance  of  this  lit- 
tle apple  renders  it  worthy  of  cultivation.  The  tree 
is  of  more  upright  growth  than  any  other  apple  tree 
in  the  orchard  ;  it  grows  to  a  large  size  before  it 
produces  fruit ;  it  then  bears  well,  and  is  in  use  from 
January  till  March. 

No.  43.  Bellflower.  —  This  is  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful apple.  The  form  is  very  oblong,  tapering  to  the 
eye  ;  the  skin  a  bright  yellow,  sometimes  without 
any  red,  but  for  the  most  part  the  side  exposed  to 
the  sun  has  a  bright  red  cheek ;  the  flesh  is  rich, 
tender  and  sprightly  ;  before  perfectly  ripe  it  has 
too  much  acidity.  It  bears  well,  though  not  abun- 
dantly, every  year,  and  ripens  in  October,  and 
keeps  till  February.  It  is  a  valuable  market  fruit. 
The  growth  of  the  tree  is  large  and  spreading,  and  if 
not  trained  high,  the  branches  will  reach  the  ground 
when  loaded  with  fruit. 

[This  variety  fruits  well  in  light  soil.  It  is  sometimes  con- 
confounded  with  the  "  Monstrous  Bellflower,"  an  inferior 
sort.] 


38  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  44.  Swaar.  —  This  is  a  large  apple,  the 
form  round,  somewhat  flat ;  the  skin  is  very  smooth, 
of  a  light  yellowish  green,  without  any  red ;  the 
flesh  is  juicy  and  well  flavored,  but  not  rich.  The 
tree  is  of  spreading  and  vigorous  growth ;  bears 
great  crops.  The  fruit  ripens  from  December  to 
March. 

[A  constant  bearer  and  handsome  fruit,  deserving  extensive 
cultivation  ;  being  one  of  the  finest  eating  apples,  in  February 
and  March,  we  possess.] 

No.  45.  Danvers  Winter  Sweet.  —  This  apple 
is  of  medium  size  ;  the  form  a  little  oblong,  tapering 
to  the  eye  ;  the  skin  smooth,  of  a  light  yellow, 
sometimes  with  a  tinge  of  red  ;  the  flesh  firm,  juicy 
and  sweet.  The  tree  is  a  great  bearer,  of  rapid 
growth,  and  is  worthy  of  extensive  cultivation.  It 
is  in  use  during  the  whole  winter. 

No.  46.  Pickman  Pippin. — This  apple  is 
sometimes  large,  the  form  round,  the  skin  a  light 
yellow,  spotted  with  black  points ;  the  flesh  hard, 
juicy,  and  good  for  the  table,  and  excellent  for  the 
kitchen,  having,  when  cooked,  a  most  agreeable 
acid.  The  tree  is  of  an  upright  growth,  bears 
abundant  crops,  and  the  fruit  ripens  from  December 
to  March. 

[In  strong  soil  a  great  bearer.  This  sort  and  No.  27  we 
consider  our  two  best  cooking  varieties.] 

No.  47.  Mela  Carla.  —  This  apple  is  of  medium 
size  and  round  form ;  the  skin  is  of  a  light  yellow, 


APPLES.  dif 

with  a  bright  red  cheek  next  the  sun  ;  the  flesh 
white,  tender  and  good,  but  not  rich.  It  is  a  good 
bearer,  and  ripens  from  October  to  March.  In  our 
climate  this  apple  is  not  so  good  as  in  its  native 
country,  Italy.  It  is,  notwithstanding,  worthy  of 
cultivation. 

[Shy  bearer  in  our  soil,  and  wanting  in  flavor.] 

No.  48.  Eoxbury  Russet.  —  This  apple  is  well 
known,  and  extensively  cultivated  in  New  England ; 
it  is  of  medium  size,  round,  and  flat  at  the  ends ; 
the  skin  of  a  fine  yellow  russet,  often  mixed  with 
dull  red  ;  the  flesh  white,  rich  and  juicy,  with  a  very 
pleasant  acid.  It  bears  well,  and  can  be  brought  to 
market  later  in  the  spring  than  any  other  good  table 
apple. 

No.  49.  Hubbardston  Nonsuch.  —  This  apple 
is  large,  the  form  round,  somewhat  oblong ;  the  skin 
is  red,  mixed  with  a  small  portion  of  yellow,  streak- 
ed and  blotched  with  dark  red  ;  the  flesh  yellow, 
juicy,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  The  tree  is  of  vigor- 
ous growth,  a  great  bearer,  and  worthy  of  extensive 
cultivation.  In  use  from  January  to  March. 

[This  variety,  and  the  one  following,  we  consider  two  of  the 
finest  late  apples  for  New  England  culture,  both  being  good 
bearers.] 

No.  50.  Minister.  —  This  fine  apple  originated 
in  Rowley,  Mass.  The  size  is  large,  the  form  ob- 
long like  the  Bellflower,  tapering  to  the  eye,  with 
broad  ridges  the  whole  length  of  the  fruit ;  the  skin 


40  FRUIT    BOOK. 

a  light  greenish  yellow,  striped  with  bright  red,  but 
the  red  seldom  extends  to  the  eye ;  flesh  yellow, 
light,  high  flavored  and  excellent.  This  is  one  of 
the  very  finest  apples  which  New  England  has  pro- 
duced. It  ripens  from  November  to  February,  and 
deserves  a  place  in  every  collection  of  fruits,  how- 
ever small.  This  apple  received  its  present  name 
from  the  circumstance  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Spring, 
of  Newburyport,  having  purchased  the  first  fruit 
brought  to  market. 

No.  51.  Green  Sweet.  — This  apple  is  of  small 
size,  round,  and  rather  flat ;  the  skin  at  maturity  is 
a  dull  green,  approaching  to  yellow  ;  the  flesh  very 
sweet  and  good.  It  is  in  use  during  the  winter 
months,  and  can  be  brought  to  market  later  in  the 
spring  than  any  other  sweet  apple.  Much  culti- 
vated in  the  north  part  of  Essex  county,  Mass. 


The  following  varieties  are  added  to  this  edition  by  the  compiler. 

No.  52.  Bevarfs  Favorite.  —  This  is  one  of 
the  earliest  and  finest  apples  of  New  Jersey,  sup- 
posed to  have  originated  there ;  the  size  is  me- 
dium ;  form  somewhat  flat ;  color  yellow,  striped 
with  red ;  flesh  juicy ;  a  great  bearer;  ripening  in  July. 

No.  53.  Superb  Sweet.  —  A  large  sized  supe- 
rior sweet  fruit ;  form  rather  flat ;  color  red,  striped ; 
ripening  in  September  and  October ;  raised  from 
seed  by  Jacob  Dean,  of  Mansfield,  Mass. 


APPLES.  41 

No.  54.  Strawberry  Apple.  —  This  variety 
originated  in  New  Jersey ;  it  is  an  early  winter 
fruit ;  will  keep  into  spring ;  color  bright  red,  striped 
upon  a  light  orange  brown ;  flesh  juicy,  and  pecu- 
liarly agreeable. 

No.  55.  RamsdeVs  Red  Pumpkin  Sweet. — 
This  fruit  is  of  good  size ;  of  a  dark  red,  covered 
with  a  blue  bloom,  similar  to  the  Winter  Blue  Pear- 
main  ;  the  flesh  is  tender  and  sweet.  This  tree 
bears  abundantly.  It  ripens  in  the  fall,  and  will 
keep  into  January.  This  apple  was  brought  into 
notice  by  Mr.  Ramsdel,  of  Connecticut. 

No.  56.  Rambo,  or  Romanite. — This  apple  is 
much  cultivated  in  Pennsylvania ;  the  form  is  flat ; 
the  size  medium ;  the  skin  a  pale  yellow,  with  red 
streaks  towards  the  sun  ;  flesh  tender  and  sprightly  ; 
and  is  a  fine  table  apple,  ripening  in  the  fall  and 
keeping  for  several  months ;  a  good  bearer  in  alter- 
nate years.  This  apple  is  known  by  the  name  of 
Seek-no-farther,  in  the  Philadelphia  market. 

No.  57.  Cann  Apple.  —  This  apple,  cultivated 
in  West  Jersey,  takes  its  name  from  the  peculiarity 
of  its  shape.  In  form  it  approaches  to  a  cone  ;  the 
size  is  medium  ;  color  green,  with  a  brownish  red 
near  the  stem  ;  it  is  a  very  sweet  fruit,  approaching 
nearer,  in  this  respect,  to  the  Danvers  Winter  Sweet 
than  any  variety  we  have  seen.  It  is  an  early  winter 
fruit,  and  is  a  good  bearer  in  alternate  years. 
4* 


42  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  58.  Quince  Apple.  —  The  tree  of  this 
variety  is  of  vigorous  growth  ;  the  size  of  the  fruit 
large  ;  the  shape  flat ;  the  skin,  when  fully  ripe,  of 
a  rich  lemon  yellow;  flesh  rich  and  juicy;  it  is  a 
great  bearer  in  alternate  years,  and  is,  one  of  the 
very  best  fall  apples  we  possess,  ripening  in  Novem- 
ber. Coxe  says  that  it  came  originally  from  the 
State  of  New  York. 

No.  59.  Michael  Henry  Pippin.  —  This  va- 
riety, (supposed  to  have  originated  in  New  Jersey) 
with  us  is  a  large  fair  apple,  of  a  handsome  oblong 
shape,  color  when  ripe  of  a  light  lemon  yellow  ;  the 
flesh  is  sweet,  ripening  in  November,  but  keeping 
well  throughout  nearly  the  whole  winter.  Bears 
well,  not  greatly,  every  year. 


THE  PEAR.  * 

The  pear  was  probably  held  in  higher  estimation 
by  the  ancients,  than  the  apple,  as  Pliny  enumerated 
a  greater  number.  It  is  a  much  more  hardy  and 
durable  tree  than  the  apple,  and  although  longer  in 
coming  into  a  fruit-bearing  state,  will  exist  for  cen- 
turies, in  health  and  vigor.  The  pear  is  propagated 
by  seeds,  with  a  view  to  obtain  new  varieties,  or  for 
the  purpose  of  stocks  on  which  to  graft  or  bud 
known  or  approved  kinds.  Doctor  Van  Mons,  and 
M.  Duquesne,  possess  eight  hundred  approved  sorts, 
which  they  obtained  from  seeds  within  sixteen  years. 
Pears,  however,  are  more  uncertain  from  seed,  than 
apples ;  for  by  far  the  greater  number  thus  raised, 


PEARS.  43 

being  unfit  for  any  other  use  than  to  be  budded  with 
known  sorts.  New  varieties,  says  Van  Mons,  are 
more  likely  to  be  obtained  from  the  seeds  of  new, 
than  of  old  cultivated  sorts.  Among  the  extended 
varieties  of  this  fruit,  it  is  rather  difficult,  (under  all 
circumstances)  to  select  those  which  are  the  best  for 
cultivation.  We  have,  however,  ventured  to  admit 
into  our  list  of  outlines,  those  which,  from  observa- 
tion and  the  opinion  of  friends,  as  well  as  our  own 
limited  experience,  we  could  safely  recommend  as 
among  the  best.  In  raising  seedling  pears,  the 
ground  should  be  enriched  with  well-rotted  manure, 
(vegetable  decomposition,  such  as  rotten  leaves,  bark, 
&c.,  we  think  the  best,  mixed  with  a  portion  of  air- 
slacked  lime,)  the  earth  should  be  occasionally  stirred 
between  the  rows,  and  all  weeds  eradicated.  (See 
the  article  on  raising  trees  from  seed.) 

Small  stocks,  measuring  from  an  half  to  an  inch 
through  at  the  but,  should  be  budded,  rather  than 
grafted.  The  best  and  most  durable  stock  for  stand- 
ards is  the  wilding ;  the  quince  and  white  thorn,  for 
dwarfs.  There  are  some  pears,  (the  Bartlett,  for 
example,)  which  do  not  thrive  well  upon  the  quince, 
directly.  Our  method  with  such  has  been  to  graft 
those  softs  that  grow  well  upon  the  quince,  and  in 
the  following  season  re-grafting  on  these  the  kinds 
that  do  not  flourish  when  placed  directly  upon  this 
stock.  This  process  of  double  grafting  may  be  ad- 
vantageously employed  also  in  bringing  pears  earlier 
into  fruit.  In  the  spring  of  1840,  we  inserted  a 
graft  of  the  "  Cabot "  into  a  dwarf  stock,  which  was 
but  one  inch  through  at  the  but,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1841,  it  bore  from  twelve  to  fifteen  pears. 


44 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


The  effect  of  double  grafting,  says  Lindley,  "  is 
similar  to  ringing  the  branches,  the  obstruction  that 
the  sap  meets  with,  in  passing  through  the  two 
places  of  union,  would  be  tantamount  to  the  limited 
supply  of  sap  permitted  to  ascend  where  a  portion 
of  the  bark  is  removed."  The  quince  stock  brings 
the  pear  into  early  fruiting,  and  some  varieties  are 
larger  upon  this  stock  ;  still,  where  a  permanent  or- 
chard is  wanted,  we  should  recommend  the  natural, 
or  wilding  pear.  P^ars  worked  upon  the  white  thorn, 
are  said  to  do  better  where  the  soil  is  a  strong  clay, 
than  upon  the  quince.  Pears  have  been  grown 
in  Europe  upon  the  mountain  ash.  We  budded 
twelve  small  trees  of  this  sort  with  the  Bartlett,  and 
Seckel,  in  the  fall  of  1840.  A  shoot  of  the  ash  was 
permitted  to  grow  in  connection  with  the  pear,  for 
the  first  season.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year, 
the  first  shoot  (the  ash)  was  then  cut  off  close  to  the 
main  stem.  These  trees  have  made  quite  as  good  a 
growth  as  upon  pear  stocks. 

The  distance  at  which  pear  trees  should  be  set  in 
the  orchard  or  garden,  depends  in  some  measure 
upon  the  soil  and  aspect ;  but  thirty  feet  is  about  the 
maximum  distance  in  the  best  soils,  and  from  eight 
to  ten  feet,  when  grown  upon  the  quince  or  thorn. 
Trees  engrafted  or  budded  upon  the  quince,  should 
be  done  as  near  the  root  as  possible.  This  budding, 
which  we  prefer  to  grafting,  is  performed  when  the 
bark  will  separate  entirely  from  the  wood,  which,  in 
this  latitude,  takes  place  in  August,  and  sometimes 
into  September.  The  following  spring,  when  the 
bud  is  developing,  cut  off  the  stock  to  within  two 


PEARS. 


45 


joints  of  the  bud,  and  not  until  the  next  season 
finish,  or  cut  the  snag  smoothly  to  the  shoot.  At 
the  third  season,  the  trees  may  be  removed  to  the 


[This  cut  of  a  dwarf  tree  is  placed  to  show  the  position  of  the  quince  stock, 
when  grafted  or  budded  with  the  pear  one  inch  below  the  surface  of  the  soil.] 

situation  for  fruiting,  and  in  resetting  them,  the 
stock  should  be  placed  at  least  one  inch  below  the 
insertion  of  the  bud  as  shown  in  the  preceding  cut 
of  a  trained  tree. 


40  FRUIT  BOOK. 

Thus  setting  the  stock  below  the  bud  or  scion  will 
preserve  them  from  the  frosts  of  winter  and  the 
borer  in  midsummer.  In  order  to  obtain  fruit  early 
upon  dwarf  pears,  the  side  shoots  or  spurs  should  be 
suffered  to  remain  upon  the  whole  extent  of  the 
tree,  as  they  will  then  ordinarily  form  fruit  buds 
upon  each  spur.  These  trees  are  admirably  adapted 
for  small  gardens,  occupying  but  little  space,  less 
exposed  to  high  winds  ;  thus  affording  greater  se- 
curity to  heavy  fruit.  One  of  the  new  Flemish 
pears,  the  "  Duchess  d'  Angouleme,"  when  grown 
as  a  dwarf,  produces  larger  fruit  than  when  upon  a 
wilding.  When  pears  are  worked  upon  the  wild 
species,  apples  upon  crabs,  and  peaches  upon 
peaches,  the  scion  is  in  regard  to  fertility,  says 
Lindley,  "  exactly  in  the  same  state  as  if  it  had  not 
been  grafted  at  all ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
great  increase  of  fertility  is  the  result  of  grafting 
pears  upon  quinces,  peaches  upon  plums,  apples 
upon  the  thorn,  and  the  like.  -In  these  cases,  the 
food  absorbed  from  the  earth  by  the  root  of  the 
stock  is  communicated  slowly."  No  other  influence 
have  we  ever  noticed  exercised  by  the  scion  upon 
the  stock. 

Deep  soils  are  not  necessary  for  the  pear ;  from 
eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  are  quite  sufficient. 
Pruning  is  not  often  wanted  in  the  culture  of  this 
fruit  as  a  standard.  Some  few  kinds  there  are  that 
resemble  the  apple  in  their  growth,  that  require 
cutting  to  keep  them  from  superfluous  branches ; 
those  particularly  of  pendant  or  weeping  habit.  This 
tree,  under  good  management  and  in  favorable  soils, 


PEARS. 


47 


may  be  continued  in  health  and  vigor  for  a  greater 
length  of  time  than  almost  any  other  fruit-bearing 
tree.  When  the  pear  tree  grows  too  luxuriantly, 
and  consequently  unproductive,  pruning  the  roots, 
or  bending  the  branches  downwards,  (the  latter 
course  we  prefer,)  will  generally  check  its  luxuriant 
growth,  and  throw  it  into  a  bearing  state.  The 
pear  being  a  more  hardy  tree  than  the  apple,  is  less 
liable  to  the  attacks  of  insects.  The  most  annoying, 
however,  is  a  species  of  coccus  or  miniature  tortoise, 
which  attaches  itself  to  the  bark.  This  insect  is 
common  to  the  apple  in  some  gardens.  Our  method 
of  destroying  them  is  to  wash  the  bark  with  a  strong 
solution  of  whale-oil  soap  and  water,  applying  it 
with  a  stiff  brush.  Young  trees  are  sometimes 
almost  wholly  incrusted  with  this  coccus. 

A  selection  of  twenty-six  varieties  of  pears  we 
would  recommend  for  a  garden  : 


Madaleine, 

1 

Belle  Lucrative, 

Bloodgood, 

i  SUMMER 

Bartlett. 

Dearborn's  Seedling, 

FRUIT. 

Flemish  Beauty, 

Early  Rousalette, 

Urbaniste, 

Summer  Franc  Real,  - 

Gushing, 

Duchesse    d'  Angou- 

leme, 

Beurre  d'Aremberg, 

Andrews, 

AUTUMN 

Winter  Nelis, 
Lewis, 
Easter  Beurre, 

WINTER 
FRUIT. 

Long  Green, 
Beurre  Bosc, 
Louise  Bonne  de  Jer- 

"   FRUIT. 

Vicar  of  Wakefield, 

sey, 

Golden  Beurrd  of  Bil- 

boa, 

Catillac, 

Washington, 

Black  Pear  of  Wor- 

COOKING 

Seckel, 

cester, 

FRUIT. 

Bon   Chretien  Fon- 

Dr.  Hunt's  Winter, 

dante, 

48 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  1.  Amire  Joannet.  —  This  fruit  is  small, 
form  oblong ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  is  light  yellow, 
with  a  small  portion  of  red ;  the  flesh  white,  and 
when  not  overripe,  juicy  and  good.  It  ripens  in 
July,  about  ten  days  before  the  Petit  Muscat,  to 
which  it  is  superior  in  size  and  flavor.  The  head  of 
the  tree  is  open,  with  a  few  long  and  hanging 
branches. 

No.  2.  Petit  Muscat.  —  This  pear  ripens  imme- 
diately after  the  above ;  the  size  is  small,  the  form 
round,  a  little  oblong,  the  skin  mostly  of  a  clear  yel- 
low, with  a  little  dull  red ;  the  flesh  pleasant  and 
musky,  without  being  high  flavored.  The  tree  grows 
to  a  large  size,  with  long  and  hanging  limbs,  produ- 
cing its  fruit  in  clusters,  and  most  abundantly. 

No.  3.  Madaleine.  — This  is  the  first  good  pear 
which  ripens  immediately  following  the  Petit  Mus- 
cat. The  size  is  rather  small ;  in  rich  land  they 
grow  large ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  is  light  green,  ap- 
proaching to  a  yellow ;  sometimes  a  tinge  of  dull 
red  on  the  side  exposed  to  the  sun ;  the  flesh  white, 
juicy  and  pleasant,  with  a  most  agreeable  acid. 
Ripe  the  end  of  July  and  first  part  of  August ;  it 
bears  well  every  year,  and  from  its  open  head,  re- 
quires but  little  pruning. 


PEARS. 


49 


No.  4.  Bloodgood.  —  This  pear  was  first  brought 
into  notice  by  the  late  James  Bloodgood,  of  Flushing, 
Long  Island ;  the  size  is  large,  the  form  nearly  oval, 
the  skin  a  dull  yellow,  covered  with  dark  russet 
spots  ;  the  flesh  tender,  melting  and  pleasant.  It 
comes  very  early  into  bearing,  and  produces  abun- 
dant crops  every  year.  Ripe  in  August. 
5 


50  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  5.  Rousselette  Hatif.  — This  is  a  small 
pear,  with  a  long  curved  neck ;  the  stem  is  long  and 
fleshy,  in  most  cases  appearing  to  be  a  continuation 
of  the  fruit ;  the  skin  yellow,  with  brownish  russet 
on  the  side  next  the  sun ;  the  flesh  very  fine,  rich 
and  high  flavored  when  eaten  ripe  from  the  tree ; 
the  branches  are  long,  the  head  of  the  tree  very 
open,  and  the  produce  most  extraordinary.  It  ripens 
about  the  middle  of  August. 

No.  6.  Honey.  —  This  tree  was  procured  from 
Messrs.  William  Prince  &  Sons,  of  Flushing;  but 
as  there  are  two  pears  bearing  this  name,  one  Euro- 
pean, the  other  American,  it  is  uncertain  to  which 
the  specimen  belonged  ;  in  size  and  shape  it  resem- 
bles the  Seckel ;  the  skin  is  yellow,  with  a  large 
portion  of  dull  red  ;  the  flesh  sweet,  juicy  and  good. 
The  tree  bears  young,  and  when  more  advanced 
promises  to  be  a  great  bearer.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  7.  Julienne.  —  This  pear  resembles  the 
St.  Michael's,  but  is  much  smaller,  except  on 
very  rich  land;  the  skin  light  yellow,  sometimes 
with  bright  red  next  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  rich,  juicy 
and  melting.  The  tree  comes  early  into  bearing, 
produces  abundantly,  and  is  in  use  from  the 
middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September ; 
ripening  gradually  in  the  house,  which  renders 
it  very  desirable  for  a  market  fruit. 

[This  variety  seems  to  have  lost  its  flavor  of  late,  at  least  in 
many  localities.] 


PEARS. 


51 


No.  8.     Andrews.  —  This  fruit    sometimes  at- 


52  FRUIT    BOOK. 

tains  a  large  size;  the  form  is  oblong,  tapering 
gently  from  the  blossom  end  to  the  stem ;  the  skin, 
when  at  maturity,  is  a  yellowish  green,  often  with  a 
dull  red  cheek ;  the  flesh  melting,  juicy,  and  high 
flavored ;  it  is  a  most  valuable  pear,  producing  its 
fruit  early  and  abundantly.  The  tree  is  not  of  very 
vigorous  growth.  Ripe  in  September  and  Octo- 
ber. 

No.  9.  Skinless.  —  This  pear  is  of  small  size,  of 
a  long  shape,  round  at  the  blossom  end,  tapering  to 
an  obtuse  point  at  the  stem ;  the  skin  is  smooth 
and  very  thin;  the  color,  when  ripe,  is  a  light 
yellow,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  red ;  the  flesh  juicy, 
crisp,  sweet,  and  very  good.  The  tree  produces 
well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  in  August. 

[Hardly  worth  cultivation  in  light  soils.] 

No.  10.  Summer  FrankreaL — This  very  fine 
pear  is  of  medium  size ;  the  shape  oblong,  thickest 
about  one  third  from  the  eye,  sometimes  flat  like  a 
Bergamot.  The  skin,  when  fully  ripe,  a  light 
yellow ;  flesh  melting,  rich  and  excellent.  It  is  a 
great  and  early  bearer,  ripening  in  September. 

No.  11.  Williams1  s  Bon  Chretien.  —  (See  Fron- 
tispiece.) This  fruit  is  very  large  ;  the  shape  long, 
round  and  full,  both  at  the  eye  and  stem,  which  is 
short  and  large  ;  the  skin,  when  fully  ripe,  yellow, 
with  faint  red  next  the  sun ;  flesh  white,  melting, 
and  good.  The  character  of  this  pear  is  very  high ; 


PEARS.  53 

the  tree  is  of  a  strong  and  vigorous  growth,  bears 
very  young,  and  yields  most  extraordinary  crops 
every  year.  Ripe  in  August  and  September. 

[This  fruit  has  the  remarkable  quality  of  ripening  in  the 
house,  when  not  fully  grown.] 

No.  12.  Dearborn's  Seedling. — This  fine  and 
beautiful  pear  originated  at  Brinley  Place,  Roxbury, 
the  seat  of  the  Hon.  H.  A.  S.  Dearborn.  The  fruit 
is  of  medium  size,  round  at  the  crown,  diminishing 
to  the  stem,  around  which  is  a  circle  of  bright 
russet ;  the  skin  is  smooth,  of  a  light  yellow  color ; 
the  flesh  delicate,  melting,  and  fine  flavored,  equal 
to  any  other  pear  of  the  same  season.  The  growth 
of  the  tree  is  healthy  and  vigorous.  It  bears  well, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  in  August  and  September. 

No.  13.  Crawford.  —  This  pear  is  very  exten- 
sively cultivated  in  Scotland  ;  it  is  of  middle  size, 
round  at  the  eye,  diminishing  to  the  stem,  and 
very  regular  and  uniform  in  its  appearance  ;  the  skin 
is  entirely  of  a  light  yellow  ;  the  flesh  juicy,  tender 
and  good.  It  bears  young,  and  ripens  in  August. 

No.  14.  Williams' s  Early. —  This  new  pear 
originated  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Williams,  in  Roxbury, 
Mass.  It  is  of  middle  size,  turbinate  form,  the  skin 
light  yellow,  with  a  red  cheek  next  the  sun ;  the  flesh 
melting,  sugary  and  fine.  The  tree  promises  to  be 
a  great  bearer.  Ripe  in  September. 


54 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  15.  Urbaniste.  —  One  of  the  new  Flemish 
pears ;  the  size  and  form  is  somewhat  like  the  St. 
Michael,  round  and  full  at  the  eye,  diminishing 
gradually  to  an  obtuse  point  at  the  stem,  which  is  in- 


PEARS.  55 

serted  in  a  shallow  round  cavity ;  skin  light  green, 
nearly  yellow,  with  small  spots  of  dull  russet ;  flesh 
white,  melting  and  fine.  The  tree  is  of  handsome 
form,  and  grows  vigorously  ;  does  not  bear  young, 
but  is  productive  after  it  has  attained  a  proper  size. 
Of  all  the  new  European  pears,  this  is  the  best  sub- 
stitute for  the  old  favorite  St.  Michael's.  Ripe  in 
October  and  November. 

No.  16.  Summer  Thorn.  —  This  pear  is  oblong, 
of  medium  size,  the  skin  smooth,  and  when  ripe,  of 
a  light  green ;  the  flesh  melting,  juicy,  and  of  a  very 
peculiarly  pleasant  flavor.  It  bears  well,  and  ripens 
in  September. 

No.  17.  Citron  de  Sirentz.  —  Indifferent;  not 
cultivated  at  the  Pomological  Garden  of  Mr.  M. 

No.  18.  Valee  Franche.  —  Astringent,  not  cul- 
tivated at  the  Pomological  Garden. 

No.  19.  Chair  a' Dame.  —  This  variety  is  not 
retained  at  the  Pomological  Garden. 

No.  20.  Green  Pear  of  Yair.  —  We  have  dis- 
continued the  cultivation  of  this  variety. 

No.  21.  St.  Ghislain.  —  This  superior  pear  is 
one  of  the  new  Flemish  varieties ;  it  is  of  medium 
size,  the  shape  rather  oblong ;  the  skin  at  maturity 
is  a  pale  yellow ;  the  flesh  juicy,  melting  and  very 


00  FRUIT    BOOK. 

delicious.  The  tree  is  vigorous,  and  bears  good 
crops  every  year.  One  of  the  finest  of  pears,  and 
should  be  found  in  every  good  collection.  Ripening 
in  September  and  October. 


No.  22.   Gushing.  —  A  native  fruit  from  Hingham, 


PEARS.  57 

Mass.  The  size  in  rich  ground  is  large  ;  the  form 
oblong,  diminishing  from  the  eye  to  an  obtuse  point 
at  the  stem ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  smooth,  of  a  light 
yellow,  sometimes  with  dull  red  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  white,  melting,  sprightly  and 
good.  It  comes  early  into  bearing,  produces  well, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  the  last  of  September. 

[This  pear  is,  in  our  soil,  equal  to  the  Bartlett,  in  flavor.] 

No.  23.  Seckel.  —  This  well  known  and  excel- 
lent pear  is  of  small  size  on  poor  land ;  the  form  is 
regular,  round  at  the  blossom  end,  diminishing  gradu- 
ally to  an  obtuse  point  at  the  stem  ;  the  skin  often 
yellow,  with  a  brownish  red  cheek,  sometimes  en- 
tirely covered  with  greenish  russet;  the  flesh  melting 
and  of  most  exquisite  flavor  ;  the  growth  of  the  tree 
is  slow,  with  great  and  unusual  symmetry.  It  pro- 
duces abundant  crops  ;  but  in  order  to  obtain  fruit 
of  large  size,  the  ground  should  be  rich  and  the  tree 
pruned  with  a  more  open  head  than  is  generally 
thought  necessary.  Ripens  gradually  in  the  house, 
from  the  middle  of  September  to  the  last  of  October. 

[Pear  trees  seldom  thrive  when  budded  upon  the  apple.  No. 
23  does  better  than  any  other  we  have  tried.  They  should 
be  placed  upon  a  small  tiee,  and  no  part  of  the  apple  branches 
suffered  to  grow  in  connection.] 

No.  24.  Jackman's  Melting.  —  This  tree  was 
received  from  the  Messrs.  Young,  of  Epsom,  Eng- 
land ;  it  produced  its  first  fruit  in  1837  ;  the  name 
is  no  doubt  erroneous,  as  it  is  not  noticed  in  the 


58  FRUIT    BOOK. 

catalogue  of  the  London  Horticultural  Society,  or  in 
any  other  work  of  authority.  The  fruit  is  large  and 
very  long,  the  stem  short,  the  skin  entirely  of  a  dark 
red ;  the  flesh  juicy  and  good,  but  not  rich ;  it  is  re- 
markable for  its  beauty,  promises  to  bear  well,  and 
ripens  the  last  of  September. 

[This  pear  is  very  astringent,  and  hardly  worth  cultivation, 
notwithstanding  its  great  size  and  beauty.  In  the  last  Cata- 
logue of  the  London  Horticultural  Society,  it  is  called  "  King 
Edward."] 

No.  25.  Johonnot.  —  Originated  in  the  garden 
of  the  late  George  S.  Johonnot,  Esq.  of  Salem.  The 
fruit  is  of  medium  size,  of  a  roundish  and  very  une- 
qual form ;  a  little  extended,  the  skin  thin,  the  color 
a  dull  yellow,  with  a  large  portion  of  dull  brown  and 
indistinct  russet ;  the  flesh  is  very  fine,  melting  and 
delicious.  The  tree  is  not  vigorous ;  it  bears  well, 
and  is  in  perfection  from  the  middle  of  September  to 
the  middle  of  October. 

No.  26.  Summer  Rose.  —  A  pear  of  medium 
size  ;  the  form  flat,  resembling  an  apple,  with  a  long 
stem  inserted  in  a  roundish  hollow  ;  the  skin  is  dull 
yellow,  spotted  with  russet,  and  mixed  with  a  large 
proportion  of  brownish  red ;  the  flesh  white,  juicy, 
and  sweet,  with  a  high  and  very  peculiar  flavor. 
The  appearance  of  the  tree  is  that  of  a  large  spread- 
ing apple  tree  ;  it  grows  to  a  large  size  before  pro- 
ducing fruit ;  it  is  then  very  productive.  Ripe  in 
August. 


PEARS. 


59 


No.  27.  Buerre  Bosc.  —  One  of  the  new  Flem- 
ish pears ;  the  form  is  very  long,  the  skin  of  a  light 
cinnamon  russet ;  the  flesh  white,  juicy,  melting  and 


60 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


good.     It  bears  abundantly,  and  ripens  in  October 
and  November. 

[This  fine  melting  pear  is  usually  of  a  higher  flavor  than  the 
Bartlett.] 

No.  28.  Jalousie.  —  This  pear  is  rather  above 
the  medium  size ;  the  form  round  and  large  at  the 
blossom  end,  diminishing  rapidly  to  a  point  at  the 
stem ;  the  skin  is  smooth,  and  entirely  covered  with 
a  cinnamon  russet ;  the  flesh  white  and  melting, 
very  pleasant  and  good.  The  tree  bears  well,  and 
the  fruit  is  in  use  during  the  whole  month  of  Oc- 
tober. 

No.  29.  Autumn  Superb.  —  This  is  a  large 
pear,  full  and  round  at  the  eye,  diminishing  to  a 
point  at  the  stem ;  the  skin  is  yellow  mixed  with 
dull  red ;  the  flesh  melting  and  good,  but  not  very 
highly  flavored.  It  bears  young  and  the  fruit 
ripens  in  October.  It  was  originally  introduced 
from  Fiance,  and  received  its  present  name  in  this 
country. 

No.  30.  Heathcote.  —  This  native  pear  is  large 
on  rich  land ;  the  form  is  long,  round  at  the  blossom 
end,  and  full  at  the  stalk  ;  the  skin  almost  always  of 
a  light  yellow,  seldom  a  tinge  of  red  ;  the  flesh 
melting,  rich  and  well  flavored.  The  growth  of  the 
tree  is  handsome  and  vigorous.  It  produces  abun- 
dant crops,  and  ripens  in  September  and  October. 


PEARS, 


61 


No.  31.  Belle  Lucrative.  —  The  tree  which 
produces  this  fine  fruit,  was  received  from  the 
Messrs.  Young,  of  Epsom,  England.  The  size  is 
large,  the  form  round  at  the  blossom  end,  tapering 
gradually  to  the  stem ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  is  a  pale 
yellow,  sometimes  with  a  little  dull  red  next  the 
sun;  the  flesh  is  melting,  sweet,  juicy  and  fine 
flavored.  It  bears  well.  Ripens  in  September 


62  FRUIT    BOOK. 

and  October,  and  is  worthy  of  a  place  among  the 
choicest  selections. 

[This  fruit,  supposed  to  be  the  Fondante  d'Automne  of  the 
London  Catalogue,  is  decidedly  the  finest  fall  pear  in  our  col- 
lection.] 

No.  32.  Belle  et  Bonne.  —  These  trees  have 
been  received  from  various  sources,  as  the  Belle  de 
Bruxelles;  the  fruit  is  large  and  round,  the  skin 
yellow,  sometimes  with  a  little  blush  on  the  side 
exposed  to  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  very  sweet,  rich  and 
good.  The  tree  is  very  vigorous  in  its  growth ; 
does  not  bear  till  it  has  attained  a  large  size  ;  it'  is 
then  very  fruitful.  Ripe  in  October. 

No.  33.  Long  Green.  —  This  is  one  of  the  best 
of  the  old  varieties  ;  its  form  is  very  long ;  skin  at 
maturity  a  light  green  ;  the  flesh  is  white,  melting 
and  fine  flavored.  The  tree  is  of  vigorous  growth, 
bears  well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  in  September  and 
October. 

[This  is  one  of  the  few  old  varieties  that  have  not  as  yet 
shown  any  signs  of  decay.] 

No.  34.  Henry  Fourth.  —  This  pear  is  of  small 
size,  the  form  very  irregular,  oblong ,  the  skin  of  a 
dull  yellow,  mixed  with  brown  and  green  ;  flesh 
yellow,  gritty,  juicy  and  melting,  with  a  high  and 
somewhat  remarkable  flavor.  It  bears  young  and 
abundantly,  and  ripens  in  September. 


PEARS. 


63 


No.  35.  Surpass  Vergalieu.  —  This  tree  was 
received  from  the  late  Mr.  Parmentier,  of  Brooklyn, 
L.  I. ;  as  we  do  not  find  the  name  in  any  European 
author,  it  was  probably  adopted  in  this  country. 
The  fruit  is  large,  form  oblong,  some  specimens 
nearly  round ;  the  skin  smooth,  of  a  light  yellow 
with  a  little  red  on  the  side  next  the  sun ;  the  flesh 
rich,  juicy  and  high  flavored.  It  appears  to  require  a 
warm  sun  to  have  it  in  its  greatest  perfection ;  it  bears 
young,  yields  large  crops  of  fair  fruit  every  year,  and 
is  worthy  of  extensive  cultivation.  Ripe  in  October. 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  36. 


PEARS. 


65 


No.  36.  Duchesse  d'Angouleme.  —  One  of  the 
new  European  pears  ;  the  size  is  very  large,  oblong, 
round  at  the  blossom  ends,  tapering  gradually  to  an 
obtuse  point  at  the  stem,  with  a  knobby  and  uneven 
surface;  the  skin  greenish  yellow,  spotted  with 
small  russet  points ;  the  flesh  very  rich,  melting  and 
high  flavored.  It  is  a  good  pear  on  standards  in 
rich  ground,  larger  and  better  on  the  quince,  trained 
low  ;  it  is  very  productive.  Ripe  in  October  and 
November. 

[The  specimen  was  grown  upon  the  quince.] 

No.  37.  Beurre  Van  Marum.  —  This  is  one  of 
the  new  Flemish  pears  ;  it  is  of  medium  size,  the 
form  oblong,  the  skin  of  a  bright  yellow,  sometimes 
with  a  tinge  of  red ;  the  flesh  melting,  juicy  and 
fine.  It  is  an  early  and  great  bearer,  and  in  per- 
fection about  the  last  of  September. 

No.  38.  Capsheaf.  —  The  origin  of  this  pear  is 
unknown ;  it  is  much  cultivated  near  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  it  may  have  originated.  The  size  is 
small ;  the  form  almost  round  ;  the  skin  a  light  cin- 
namon russet ;  the  flesh  white,  melting  and  juicy, 
with  a  pleasant  but  not  high  flavor.  It  bears  well, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  in  October. 

No.  39.     Naumkeag.  —  This  is  a  seedling  from 

the   garden  of  the  late  G.   S.  Johonnot,   Esq.,  of 

Salem.     The  wood  and  leaf  of  the  tree  resemble 

those  of  the  Brown  Beurre  ;  the  fruit  is  large,  form 

6* 


66 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


oval,  rather  oblong,  full  and  round  both  at  the  blos- 
som end  and  at  the  stem  ;  the  skin  a  yellow  russet, 
with  much  dull  brown  mixed  with  russet;  flesh 
juicy,  melting  and  good,  with  rather  too  much 
astringency.  A  great  bearer,  ripening  in  October. 

[We  should  not  recommend  this  variety  for  general  culti- 
vation.] 

No.  40.  Raymond.  —  A  new  fruit,  which  origi- 
nated on  the  farm  of  Dr.  Joseph  Wight,  of  Ray- 
mond, Me.  It  is  sometimes  large,  but  generally  of 
a  medium  size,  the  shape  of  the  St.  Michael's ;  the 
skin  yellow,  with  some  dull  red  and  russet  on  the 
side  exposed  to  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  melting,  rich  and 
high  flavored,  equal  to  any  pear  of  the  same  season. 
The  tree  is  slow  and  crooked  in  its  growth,  but  pro- 
duces well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  in  September  and 
October. 

[This  variety  is  small  in  our  soil.] 

No.  41.  Buffum.  —  This  pear  originated  in 
Rhode  Island  ;  medium  size,  the  form  nearly  oval ; 
the  skin  yellow,  mixed  with  russet  and  brown- 
ish red  next  the  sun ;  the  flesh  melting  and 
good,  but  not  first  rate.  The  tree  is  very  upright 
and  strong  in  its  growth ;  a  great  bearer,  and  an 
excellent  market  fruit.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  42.  Rostiezer. —  This  tree  was  received 
from  the  Messrs.  Baumans,  of  Bollwiller.  The  fruit 
is  of  medium  size,  oblong  and  pointed  at  the  stem, 


PEARS. 


67 


the  skin  covered  with  light  yellow  russet ;  the  flesh 
melting,  high  flavored,  and  delicious.  It  ripens 
about  the  first  of  October  ;  and,  so  far  as  we  could 
judge  from  the  first  specimens,  is  decidedly  a  first 
rate  fruit. 


No.  43.  Washington.  —  A  native  fruit  from  New 
Jersey,  of  medium  size  ;  "the  form  is  nearly  oval ;  the 
skin  of  a  light  yellow,  covered  with  small  brown 
spots,  sometimes  a  slight  tinge  of  red  ;  the  flesh 
melting  and  excellent,  with  an  unusual  flavor.  The 
tree  grows  vigorously,  bears  well,  and  the  fruit 


68  FRUIT    BOOK. 

ripens  in  September.     A  beautiful  and  good  pear, 
worthy  of  cultivation. 

No.  44.  Princess  of  Orange.  —  One  of  the 
new  Flemish  pears.  In  size  and  form  this  fruit 
resembles  the  St.  Michael's ;  the  skin  is  an  orange 
russet,  mixed  with  dull  red  ;  the  flesh  white,  melt- 
ing and  good,  but  not  first  rate.  Ripe  in  October. 
The  scions  of  this  pear  were  originally  received  from 
the  London  Horticultural  Society ;  but  a  distin- 
guished cultivator  from  Belgium  thinks  it  cannot  be 
the  Princess  of  Orange  of  Van  Mons. 

No.  45.  Gansels  Bergamot. — This  has  been 
placed  among  the  old  pears ;  it  is  only  compara- 
tively so,  having  been  raised  in  1768 ;  as  yet,  it 
shows  no  indications  of  decay,  such  as  we  see  in 
many  of  the  finest  old  pears.  It  has  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  bad  bearer,  but  in  the  gardens  in 
Salem  it  produces  good  crops.  The  fruit  is  of 
medium  size,  the  form  nearly  round,  the  color  a  dull 
brown ;  flesh  white,  melting  and  fine  flavored.  Ripe 
in  October. 

No.  46.  Cabot.  —  This  pear  was  produced  from 
seed  by  Joseph  S.  Cabot,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  The 
original  tree,  after  producing  the  first  specimen  of 
fruit,  was  destroyed  by  the  cold  winter  of  1831. 
We  were  so  fortunate  as  to  preserve  a  scion,  from 
which  we  obtained  fruit  the  last  season,  1837.  It  is 
of  medium  size,  of  a  round  form,  a  little  extended  ; 


PEARS. 

li  U  JN 1  v 

the  skin  a  light  yellow  russet,  with  a  small  portion  of 
brownish  red ;  the  flesh  white,  melting  and  fine 
flavored.  It  is  decidedly  a  first  rate  fruit,  and 
worthy  of  extensive  cultivation.  The  tree  is  of  a 
strong  and  healthy  growth,  bears  well,  and  is  in  per- 
fection during  the  whole  month  of  October. 

No.  47.  Bon  Chretien  Fondante.  —  This  is  one 
of  the  new  Flemish  pears ;  fruit  rather  large ;  form 
regular,  oval ;  the  skin  a  yellowish  green,  mixed 
with  brown  and  yellow  specks;  the  flesh  yellow, 
rich  and  melting;  the  tree  produced  fruit  the  first 
time,  the  last  season,  1837,  and  promises  to  be  a 
first  rate  fruit.  Ripe  in  October. 

[This  sort  has  proved  with  us  very  fine.] 

No.  48.  Pope's  Quaker.  —  The  origin  of  this 
pear  is  uncertain ;  it  appears  to  have  been  first  culti- 
vated by  a  Mr.  Pope,  a  nurseryman  near  New  York. 
The  fruit  is  of  medium  size,  oblong  pear-shaped,  the 
skin  entirely  covered  with  yellow  russet ;  the  flesh 
white,  melting  and  good,  but  not  high  flavored; 
the  tree  is  productive.  The  fruit  ripens  in  October. 

No.  49.  Reine  des  Poires.  —  This  is  a  large 
pear ;  the  form  obtusely  pyramidal ;  the  skin  a  dull 
yellow  mixed  with  red,  and  red  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  sun ;  the  flesh  crisp,  pleasant  and  good,  but 
not  high  flavored  ;  it  bears  young,  and  is  very  pro- 
ductive. Ripe  in  October.  The  tree  has  a  great 
resemblance  to  that  of  the  Easter  Beurre. 


70 


FRUIT  BOOK. 


No.  50.  Golden  Buerre  of  Bilboa.  —  This  tree 
was  imported  from  Bilboa,  by  Mr.  Hooper,  of  Mar- 
blehead ;  the  original  name  is  unknown ;  in  size 
and  shape  it  resembles  the  Doyenne  Gris,  but  the 
skin  is  of  a  lighter  russet ;  the  flesh  is  melting,  rich 


PEARS.  71 

and  of  fine  flavor  ;  it  is  a  good  bearer.     Ripens  in 
October. 

[This  variety  grows  large  and  beautiful  upon  the  quince.] 

No.  51.  Cumberland. —  A  native  fruit,  from 
Cumberland,  R.  I. ;  the  size  is  large,  the  form  oblong, 
round  and  large  at  the  blossom  end,  tapering  to  an 
obtuse  point  at  the  stem ;  the  skin  of  an  orange 
color,  with  bright  red  next  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  melt- 
ing, juicy  and  good,  nearly  first  rate.  Ripe  in 
October  and  November.  The  tree  is  of  vigorous 
growth,  and  bears  abundantly. 

[Inferior  with  us  to  the  "  Buffum."] 

No.  52.  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey.  —  Fruit  large, 
oblong,  pear-shape  ;  skin  yellowish  green,  mixed 
with  brownish  red  next  the  sun ;  the  flesh  melting, 
rich  and  good.  It  produced  its  first  fruit  the  last 
season,  and  gives  every  indication  of  being  a  first 
rate  pear,  and  good  bearer.  Ripe  in  September 
and  October. 

[This  is  a  fine  melting  pear.] 

No.  53.  Petre.  —  This  tree  was  presented  to 
me  by  Mr.  Carr,  of  the  Bartram  Botanic  Garden, 
near  Philadelphia,  where  the  fruit  originated.  The 
first  specimens  were  produced  the  last  season,  1837. 
The  size  is  large,  the  form  long,  round  at  the  eye, 
and  tapering  to  an  obtuse  point  at  the  stem ;  the 
skin  is  a  dull  yellow,  mixed  with  greenish  russet ; 
the  flesh  melting,  juicy,  and  very  delicious.  Ripe 
in  October  and  November.  It  is  a  pear  of  the  very 
first  rank,  and  should  be  extensively  cultivated. 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  54.  Frederic  of  Wurtemberg.  —  This  is 
one  of  the  new  Flemish  pears,  and  has  been  culti- 
vated under  the  erroneous  name  of  the  Capiaumont. 
The  size  is  large,  round  and  full  at  the  blossom  end, 
tapering  rapidly  to  a  point  at  the  stem,  which  is 
short  and  placed  on  the  summit ;  the  skin  a  bright 


PEARS.  73 

yellow,  with  a  brilliant  red  cheek  next  the  sun  ;  the 
flesh  yellow,  melting,  rich  and  excellent.  The  tree 
grows  vigorously,  bears  young  and  abundantly,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  fruit  is  beautiful.  Ripe  in 
September  and  October. 

[This  variety  inclines  to  overbear,  and  is  then  small  and 
destitute  of  flavor.] 

No.  55.  Rousselette  de  Rheims.  —  This  pear  is 
of  medium  size,  the  form  is  oval,  blunt  at  the  stem ; 
the  skin  yellow,  with  much  dull  red  on  the  side  next 
the  sun  ;  the  flesh  is  breaking  and  fine,  with  a  very 
high  musk  flavor  ;  it  is  best  when  eaten  ripe  from 
the  tree.  The  tree  attains  a  large  size  before  bear- 
ing ;  but  when  more  advanced  produces  an  abun- 
dant crop.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  56.  Wilkinson.  —  A  native  pear  from  Cum- 
berland, R.  I. ;  the  size  in  rich  ground  is  large,  the 
form  oblong,  round  at  the  blossom  end,  and  at  the 
stem ;  the  skin  yellow,  seldom  (on  pear  stocks)  any 
red  ;  the  flesh  white,  juicy  and  melting,  with  a  fine 
and  delicious  flavor.  The  tree  bears  young,  is  very 
fruitful,  and  in  perfection  during  the  months  of  Oc- 
tober and  November.  If  grafted  on  the  quince  it  is 
smaller,  more  prolific,  higher  flavored,  and  a  brighter 
red  cheek,  than  if  grafted  on  the  pear  stock. 

[The  fruit  of  this  variety  is  not  always  fair  in  our  soil.] 

No.  57.  Bergamotte  d'Automne. —  This  pear 
is  of  medium  size,  the  form  round,  a  little  lengthened 


74  FRUIT    BOOK. 

towards  the  stem,  which  is  short  and  inserted  in  a 
small  cavity ;  the  skin  when  ripe  is  a  dusky  yellow, 
thickly  sprinkled  with  greyish  spots  ;  the  flesh  break- 
ing, tender,  juicy  and  sweet.  It  is  a  good  fruit,  and 
an  early  and  great  bearer,  ripening  gradually  in  Octo- 
ber ;  distinct  from  the  Autumn  Bergamot,  described 
by  Cox,  and  figured  in  the  Pomological  Magazine. 

[We  have  a  pear  answering  to  the  above  description,  received 
from  France,  under  the  name  of  "  Sylvanche  Bergamotte," 
which  is  a  great  bearer,  and  the  fruit  of  fine  flavor.] 

No.  58.  Napoleon.  —  One  of  the  new  Flemish 
pears ;  the  size  is  large,  the  form  long,  round  at  the 
blossom  end,  contracted  in  the  middle,  obtuse  at  the 
stem,  which  is  short ;  the  skin  at  maturity  is  a  yel- 
lowish green ;  flesh  melting  and  fine,  with  an  un- 
usual quantity  of  juice  ;  in  some  soils,  a  little  too  as- 
tringent; tree  healthy  and  strong,  bears  well,  and 
the  fruit  ripens  in  October. 

[This  tree  has  borne  with  us  fine  melting  pears,  without  as- 
tringency,  for  two  years  past.  Bears  greatly  on  small  trees.] 

No.  59.  Moorf  owl's  Egg,  of  Boston.  — A  pear 
of  medium  size,  oval  form;  the  skin  light  green, 
mixed  with  russet  and  brown  next  the  sun  ;  the  flesh 
tender,  juicy  and  good ;  tree  of  vigorous  growth,  and 
ripens  in  November.  This  we  think  cannot  be  the 
pear  of  the  same  name  cultivated  in  England  and 
Scotland. 

[This  variety  is  the  "Long  Green"  of  "  Duhamel,  and 
other  European  authors.] 


PEARS. 


75 


No.  60.  Marie  Louise.  —  This  is  also  one  of 
the  new  Flemish  pears ;  the  size  is  large,  the  form 
long,  tapering  from  th6  middle  to  the  eye  and  stem ; 
the  skin  is  a  dusky  yellow,  sometimes  with  a  large 
portion  of  cinnamon  russet ;  the  flesh  white,  melting, 
juicy,  and  very  delicious;  the  tree  grows  crooked, 


76  FRUIT    BOOK. 

and  the  leaves  are  small  and  generally  hollowed  like 
the  bowl  of  a  spoon  ;  it  is  equal  to  any  other  pear  of 
the  season,  European  or  American.  Ripe  in  Octo- 
ber and  November. 

No.  61.  Fulton.  —  This  pear  originated  on  the 
farm  of  Mrs.  Fulton,  Topsham,  Maine.  The  size  is 
small,  the  form  nearly  round,  a  little  lengthened,  the 
skin  entirely  covered  with  dark  russet ;  the  flesh 
white,  melting,  juicy  and  well  flavored ;  the  tree 
bears  well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  gradually  in  the 
house,  in  October  and  November. 

No.  62.  Bleeker's  Meadow.  —  A  native  fruit 
from  New  York ;  the  size  is  small,  the  form  round, 
somewhat  flat ;  the  skin,  when  fully  ripe,  is  yellow ; 
the  flesh  yellow,  melting,  juicy  and  high  flavored. 
The  growth  of  the  tree  is  vigorous  ;  it  does  not  bear 
young,  but  as  it  increases  in  size  it  bears  well. 
Ripening  in  October  and  November. 

No.  63.  Harvard.  —  This  pear  originated  in 
Cambridge,  Mass.  The  size  is  large,  the  form  ob- 
long, contracted  in  the  middle,  diminishing  to  an 
obtuse  point  to  the  stem,  which  is  inserted  in  a  small 
cavity  ;  the  skin  is  of  a  dull  russety  yellow,  some- 
times nearly  covered  with  brownish  red ;  the  flesh 
white,  juicy  and  fine,  but  subject  to  rot  at  the  core, 
which  is  its  only  defect.  The  tree  is  uncommonly 
strong  and  upright  in  its  growth  ;  it  attains  a  large 
size  before  producing  fruit ;  it  is  then  a  great  bearer. 
Ripe  in  September  and  October. 


PEARS. 


77 


No.  64.  Dix.  — This  fine  pear  originated  in  the 
garden  of  Mrs.  Dix,  in  Boston ;  the  size  is  large,  ob- 
long, tapering  gently  from  the  blossom  end  to  the 
stem,  which  is  short ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  is  yellow, 

7* 


78  FRUIT    BOOK. 

sometimes  with  a  blush  of  red  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  sun ;  the  flesh  melting,  juicy,  and  very  rich, 
with  a  high  and  most  agreeable  flavor.  In  perfec- 
tion during  the  months  of  October  and  November. 
The  tree  is  of  slow  growth,  the  wood  small  and 
thorny  ;  it  grows  to  a  large  size  before  bearing ;  it 
then  produces  plentifully. 

No.  65.  Newtown  Vergalieu.  —  We  should 
judge  by  the  name  that  this  pear  originated  on 
Long  Island ;  it  is  of  large  size,  round  at  the  blos- 
som end,  tapering  to  a  point  at  the  stem,  which  is 
short ;  the  skin  of  a  pale  yellow,  seldom  with  a 
tinge  of  red  ;  the  flesh  is  sweet,  rather  dry,  not 
highly  prized  as  a  table  fruit,  but  excellent  for  bak- 
ing. It  ripens  in  the  early  winter  months,  and  its 
productiveness  renders  it  desirable  in  an  orchard. 
The  tree  is  crooked  and  strong  in  its  growth,  form- 
ing a  large  spreading  head  like  that  of  an  apple 
tree. 

No.  66.  Fig  Pear  of  Naples.  —  The  scions  of 
this  pear  were  received  from  the  London  Horticul- 
tural Society.  In  their  catalogue  it  is  described  as 
first  rate  ;  the  fruit  is  of  large  size,  form  oval,  skin  a 
dark  brown,  with  a  mixture  of  red ;  flesh  melting, 
juicy  and  good ;  it  is  very  productive,  and  bears 
young.  Ripe  in  November  and  December. 

No.  67.     Sylvanche  Verte.  —  Identical  with  No. 

68. 


PEARS, 


79 


No.  68.  Beurre  Did.  —  One  of  the  best  of  the 
new  Flemish  pears.  The  size  is  very  large,  tapering 
gradually  from  the  middle  to  both  the  eye  and  stem, 
where  it  is  full  and  thick  ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  of  an 
orange  color,  with  small  russet  spots ;  the  flesh  white, 


80 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


sugary,  rich  and  delicious ;  the  tree  is  of  a  crooked 
but  strong  and  healthy  growth ;  it  bears  well,  and 
the  fruit  ripens  in  November  and  December. 

[This  variety  cracked  with  us  in  1842  ;  was  fine,  however, 
in  1843.] 

No.  69.  Lewis.  —  This  pear  originated  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  John  Lewis,  Roxbury,  Mass.  The  size 
is  small,  the  form  round,  a  little  oblong ;  the  skin, 
when  ripe,  a  greenish  yellow ;  the  flesh  white,  melt- 
ing, juicy  and  good.  The  tree  is  of  the  most  rapid 
growth;  a  great  and  constant  bearer.  The  fruit 
ripens  from  November  to  February. 

No.  70.  Prince's  St.  Germain.  —  Produced 
from  seed  at  the  nursery  of  W.  Prince  and  Sons,  at 
Flushing,  L.  I.  The  fruit  is  of  medium  size;  in 
form  sometimes  like  the  old  St.  Germain ;  the  skin 
yellow,  with  patches  of  russet,  and  a  dull  red  cheek 
on  the  side  exposed  to  the  sun ;  the  flesh  is  melting 
and  good,  but  not  esteemed  a  first  rate  fruit ;  its 
abundant  bearing,  and  its  ripening  gradually  in  the 
house  during  the  winter,  renders  it  a  very  valuable 
market  fruit. 

No.  71.  Echasserie.  —  This  is  one  of  the  old 
French  table  pears  ;  the  size  is  small,  of  oval  form ; 
the  skin,  at  maturity,  a  greenish  yellow ;  the  flesh 
melting,  juicy  and  sugary.  It  is  a  good  bearer,  and 
a  favorite  winter  pear,  ripening  from  December  to 
March. 


PEARS. 


81 


No.  72.  Passe  Colmar.  —  This  is  also  one  of  the 
new  Flemish  pears  ;  the  size  is  large,  the  form  round 
and  full  at  the  blossom  end,  contracting  suddenly  to 
the  stem,  which  is  about  an  inch  long,  and  planted 
in  a  small  and  oblique  cavity ;  the  flesh  is  yellow, 
melting,  sweet  and  excellent.  The  growth  of  the 
tree  is  vigorous,  without  any  symmetry ;  its  produce 
very  great ;  it  is  a  favorite,  and  deserves  to  be  so. 
We  have  had  them  in  eating  from  October  to  Feb- 
ruary. 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  73. 


PEARS.  83 

No.  73.  Bourgmestre,  of  Boston.  —  A  pear  of 
large  size,  very  long,  round  at  the  blossom  end,  ta- 
pering gently  to  a  point  at  the  stem,  which  is  long 
and  fleshy  at  its  junction  with  the  fruit ;  the  skin 
greenish  yellow,  (on  a  quince  stock  it  has  a  bright 
red  cheek  ;)  the  flesh  juicy  and  pretty  good,  but  not 
rich.  Ripe  from  November  to  January.  This  is  not 
the  Bourgmestre  of  the  London  Horticultural  So- 
ciety's Catalogue.  We  were  inclined  to  discontinue 
its  cultivation ;  but  its  abundant  bearing,  great  size, 
and  beautiful  appearance,  the  two  last  seasons,  have 
induced  us  to  continue  it  for  further  investigation. 

[''Vicar  of  Winkfield,"  of  the  London  Catalogue.  The 
above  is  a  fine  market  fruit.] 

No.  74.  Catillac.  —  This  is  one  of  the  old 
French  baking  pears  ;  it  is  very  large,  flat  and  round 
at  the  crown,  diminishing  rapidly  to  the  stalk,  which 
is  an  inch  in  length,  obliquely  inserted ;  the  skin  of 
a  light  green,  nearly  yellow  when  ripe ;  the  flesh 
hard  and  suitable  for  baking  from  November  till 
April ;  very  productive. 

No.  75.  Surpasse  St.  Germain.  —  Introduced 
into  England  from  Flanders,  by  the  late  John  Brad- 
dick,  Esq.  It  is  of  medium  size,  round  at  the  crown, 
tapering  to  the  stem,  which  is  obliquely  planted ;  it 
is  of  very  irregular  form ;  the  skin  is  rough,  yellow 
mixed  with  dull  brown ;  the  flesh  coarse  grained, 
sugary  and  high  flavored ;  it  produces  abundantly, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  in  December  and  January. 


84 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


No.  76.  Winter  Nelis.  —  One  of  the  new  Flem- 
ish pears ;  the  size  and  form  is  somewhat  like  the 
Seckel ;  the  skin  a  greenish  yellow,  covered  with 
dark  spots ;  in  some  seasons  they  have  a  large  por- 
tion of  dull  russet ;  the  flesh  yellow,  melting,  sweet, 
and  very  high  flavored ;  a  very  fine  pear,  ripening 
during  the  months  of  December,  January  and  Feb- 
ruary. 
[This  fine  fruit  with  us  averages  larger  than  the  "  Seckel."] 


PEARS, 


85 


No.  77.  Beurre  d'Aremberg  —  A  new  Flemish 
pear ;  in  good  ground  it  is  usually  of  a  large  size  ; 
the  form  oblong,  thick  at  the  crown  and  stalk ;  the 
skin,  when  ripe,  a  dark  yellow,  mixed  with  russet 
specks  ;  the  flesh  white,  melting,  rich  and  sweet.  It 
is  in  eating  during  the  winter  months,  and  has  the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  valuable  winter 
pears. 

8 


86  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  78.  Easter  Beurre.  —  The  size  of  this  pear 
is  large ;  of  an  oval  form  ;  the  skin,  when  ripe,  is 
dark  yellow,  covered  with  russet  spots  ;  the  flesh 
yellow,  melting  and  high  flavored.  It  bears  abun- 
dant crops,  grafted  either  on  the  pear  or  quince  ; 
keeps  till  May,  and  is  the  most  valuable  late  winter 
pear  yet  known. 

[This  variety  was  in  eating  with  us  in  March,  1844.  Melting 
and  of  fine  flavor.] 

No.  79.  Black  Pear  of  Worcester.  — Fruit 
large,  oblong ;  skin  rough,  covered  with  dull  russet ; 
the  flesh  hard  and  coarse ;  suitable  for  baking  during 
the  winter  and  spring ;  it  produces  abundantly  ; 
the  branches  of  the  tree,  when  loaded  with  fruit, 
bend  to  the  ground  like  the  weeping  willow. 

[This  variety  is  more  productive  and  better  for  general  cul- 
ture than  No.  81,  which  has,  in  many  localities,  somewhat 
degenerated.] 

No.  80.  Pound  Pear.  —  This  is  one  of  the 
largest  pears :  its  origin  unknown,  but  supposed  to 
be  European  ;  the  form  oblong ;  some  of  the  pears 
Ju-  are  thickest  in  the  middle,  tapering  to  the  crown 
and  stem  ;  the  flesh  coarse  and  astringent.  It  is 
a  great  bearer,  and  the  best  winter  baking  pear, 
being  one  of  the  most  profitable  fruits  for  the  mar- 
ket. The  extensive  cultivation  of  Nos.  79,  80,  and 
81,  in  large  orchards,  would  produce  greater  and 
surer  income,  for  the  capital  employed,  than  any 
other  investment. 


! 


PEARS. 


87 


The  following,  with  the  exception  of  No.  87,  are  added  to  this 
edition  by  the  compiler. 


No.  81.  Beurre  d' Arnaults.  —  This  new  pear  is 
said  to  have  been  received  from  France.  Size  large ; 
color  green,  inclined  to  yellow,  covered  over  with 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


numerous  red  or  russet  spots;  flesh  melting  and 
juicy ;  flavor  sweet  and  excellent ;  tree  vigorous. 
Ripe  in  August  and  September. 


No.  82.  Stevens }s  Genesee.  —  This  pear,  sup- 
posed to  be  a  native  fruit,  having  been  first  brought 
into  notice  by  a  Mr.  Stevens,  near  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
It  is  an  early  fall  variety,  ripening  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember ;  the  size  is  large ;  flavor  sprightly  and  good. 


PEARS, 


89 


No.  83 .  Flemish  Beauty.  —  Belle  des  Flandres. 
This  newly  introduced  pear  is  of  large  size ;  color 
greenish  russet  and  handsome,  ripening  in  October 
and  keeping  into  November;  the  tree  is  vigorous, 

8* 


90  FRUIT    BOOK. 

and  promises  to  be  a  great  bearer ;  flesh  yellowish 
white,  sweet  and  excellent.  One  of  the  best  pears, 
and  should  be  found  in  every  good  collection. 


No.  84.      Josephine  or  Jaminette.  —  This  new 
Flemish  pear  is  of  good  size ;  flesh  melting,  flavor 


PEARS.  91 

sweet,  not  high  ;  ripens  in  November  and  Decem- 
ber ;  a  good  bearer,  particularly  upon  the  quince, 
and  is  a  desirable  variety. 

No.  85.  Hunt's  Connecticut.  —  This  early 
winter  fruit,  introduced  by  Dr.  Hunt  of  Northamp- 
ton, is  a  profitable  variety  for  cultivation.  The  tree 
bears  early  and  abundantly  ;  fruit  of  medium  size, 
rather  oblong,  and  an  excellent  cooking  pear  late  in 
the  fall. 

No.  86.  Beurre  Romaine  1  —  This  tree  we  re- 
ceived from  Prince's  Nursery,  at  Flushing,  some 
years  since,  under  the  above  name.  It  bears  young 
and  constantly.  The  fruit  resembles  somewhat  in 
form,  as  well  as  in  its  time  of  ripening,  the  "  Ur- 
baniste,"  which  name  was  affixed  to  specimens 
sent  to  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society. 
It  is,  however,  a  distinct  variety,  and  resembles 
the  "Bezi  Montigny"  more  than  any  sort  we 
have  as  yet  seen,  differing  only  in  the  deeper 
cavity  around  the  stem.  This  fruit  ripens  in  Sep- 
tember and  October,  and  is  a  fine  melting  pear. 

No.  87.  Glout  Morceau.  —  A  new  Flemish 
pear ;  the  size  is  sometimes  large,  the  form  rather 
oblong,  round  at  the  crown,  diminishing  suddenly  to 
the  stalk,  which  is  inserted  in  an  oblique  cavity  ; 
the  skin  is  a  dull  green,  nearly  yellow  when  ripe, 
mixed  with  russet  blotches ;  the  flesh  white,  juicy 
and  excellent;  the  growth  of  the  tree  is  crooked 


92  FRUIT    BOOK. 

and  bending  ;  it  produces  well,  and  the  fruit  ripens 
gradually  from  December  to  February.  The  French 
nurserymen  still  continue  the  cultivation  of  this  pear 
under  the  name  of  the  Beurre  d'Aremberg. 

[There  are  a  number  of  new  varieties  of  Pears,  of  recent 
introduction,  and  of  desirable  kinds,  which  we  have  not  as  yet 
fruited  ;  among  them  are  the  following  : 

Belmont November. 

Beurre  Crapaud      ....  December. 

Columbian  Virgalieu   .     .     .  December. 

Hacon's  Incomparable      .     .  November  and  December. 

Beurre  Bronze Winter. 

Van  Mons  Leon  Le  Clerc     .  Winter. 

This  last  is  said  by  Thompson,  of  the  London  Horticultural 
Society,  to  be  "  the  best  pear  in  the  world,  combining  the 
properties  of  large  size,  handsome  appearance,  and  rich 
flavor." 

Lawrence       .   (Native  Fruit)  December  to  February. 

Mac  Laughlin         "         " 

Muscadine       .     .    vu>»    iv  •  September. 

Ambrosia September  and  October. 

Althorp  Crassane      (Knight)  November  and  December. 
Comte  de  Lamy  (Lon.  Hor.  Soc.)  September  and  October. 

Passans  du  Portugal      .     .     .  August.] 


THE  PEACH. 


The  peach  is  generally  supposed  to  have  origi- 
nated in  Persia  and  China;  some,  however,  have 
considered  it  really  indigenous  to  America.  Henni- 
pen,  who  has  given  us  the  first  description  of  the  re- 


PEACHES.  93 

gions  of  Louisiana,  in  his  voyage  down  the  Missis- 
sippi, describes  the  peach  he  observed  in  all  parts 
of  those  regions,  as  being  of  immense  size,  which 
has  led  some  to  conclude,  that  as  those  latitudes  corres- 
pond with  the  part  of  Asia,  where  this  tree  is  deemed 
indigenous,  they  are  natural  to  Louisiana,  Botanists, 
in  common  with  the  French  cultivators,  regard  the 
peach  and  nectarine  as  merely  varieties,  and  not  dis- 
tinct species.  Scientific  cultivators  of  Europe  have 
endeavored  to  make  an  arrangement  of  this  fruit  into 
divisions,  and  sub-divisions.  With  us  this  would 
seem  to  be  a  difficult  process,  as  thousands  of  sub- 
varieties  are  constantly  being  produced  from  the 
seed,  and  we  therefore  ordinarily  make  but  two  di- 
visions, under  the  terms  freestone,  and  clingstone ; 
the  former,  those  whose  pulp  or  flesh  separates  freely 
from  both  skin  and  stone ;  and  the  latter,  those 
whose  flesh  is  firm,  and  adheres  both  to  the  skin  and 
stone.  It  would  also  be  exceedingly  difficult  to  make 
a  correct  systematic  arrangement  of  the  kinds  found 
in  the  nurseries,  as  those  known  in  many  nurseries 
by  one  name,  are  distinct  varieties.  We  have  re- 
ceived from  different  sources,  the  "  Noblesse,"  and 
the  "Vanguard,"  which,  upon  fruiting,  appeared 
identical;  the  "Early  York,"  and  "Early  Royal 
George,"  one  and  the  same.  We  do  not,  however, 
mean  to  be  understood  that  it  is  difficult  to  depend 
upon  obtaining  fine  fruit,  but  simply  that  there  is  so 
much  confusion  as  to  the  original  names,  that  it  is 
next  to  impossible,  (as  so  many  varieties  nearly  or 
quite  approximate  to  each  other  in  quality,  time  of 


94 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


ripening,  &c.)  that  an  entirely  correct  catalogue  can 
be  expected.  The  Grosse  Mignonne,  a  superior  fruit, 
is  called  by  Mclntosh,  (in  consequence  of  the  great 
number  of  its  synonymes,)  "  The  Peach  of  an  hun- 
dred names."  Nearly,  if  not  all  those,  however, 
which  are  cultivated  in  the  nurseries  as  early  fruit, 
are  of  fine  quality.  Late  peaches,  such  as  Heath's 
clingstone,  Ward's  late  red,  and  some  others,  are 
hardly  worth  setting  in  this  region,  as  they  will  not 
ordinarily  ripen  their  fruit.  The  peach  tree  should 
be  trained  low,  as  in  high  training  they  are  exceed- 
ingly apt  to  die  from  the  lower  branches  upward. 
When  small  trees  are  set,  they  should  be  carefully 
examined,  to  see  if  any  gum  exudes,  and  the  worm 
which  causes  it  cut  out.  A  box,  without  top  or  bot- 
tom, or,  in  other  words,  four  pieces  of  wood,  from 
eight  to  ten  inches  in  height,  should  be  placed 
around  the  tree,  sunk  about  two  inches  below  the 
surface,  into  which  place  fine  charcoal,  which  will 
ordinarily  keep  out  the  borer,  who  generally  enters 
the  tree  at,  or  near  the  surface  of  the  ground.  We 
have  protected  our  trees  the  past  season  from  the 
worm,  by  taking  thin  lead,  (such  as  we  find  in  tea 
chests,)  and  cutting  it  into  strips  of  nine  inches  in 
width,  bending  them  close  around  the  tree,  three 
inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  extending 
upon  the  trunk  six  inches  above  the  earth. 

In  order  to  keep  this  tree  low,  the  long  shoots 
should  be  shortened  in  July,  to  about  one  half  their 
length,  always  cutting  at  or  near  a  single,  and  not  a 
double  bud.  Young  peach  trees  should  never  be 


PEACHES.  95 

placed  upon  the  site  of  old  roots  of  others.  They 
thrive  best  in  new  virgin  soil,  not  highly  manured. 
In  light  and  dry  soil,  early  autumn  planting  will  an- 
swer, but  early  spring  we  generally  prefer.  Care 
should  be  taken  in  transplanting,  not  to  place  the 
roots  too  deep  in  the  soil,  for  from  this  circumstance 
more  trees  are  injured  than  by  almost  all  other  modes 
of  planting  put  together.  The  following  are  among 
the  most  desirable  kinds. 


Crawford's  Early  Rareripe. 
Early  Royal  George. 
Cooledge's  Favorite. 
Red  and  Yellow  Rareripe. 
Early  York. 
Malta,  or  Maltese. 


Hastings's  Rareripe 

President. 

Red  Cheek  Melacaton. 

Grosse  Mignonne. 

Washington  Freestone. 

George  the  Fourth. 


No.  1.  Early  Ann.  —  This  is  a  small  round 
fruit,  with  a  greenish  white  skin ;  flesh  melting  and 
good.  The  tree  does  not  attain  a  large  size ;  a 
freestone,  ripe  in  August. 

No.  2.  Early  Royal  George.  —  The  size  is 
large,  the  form  round,  the  skin  of  a  bright  yellow, 
with  a  large  portion  of  deep  red  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  melting  and  delicious ;  it  is  a 
great  bearer,  and  one  of  the  most  superior  peaches 
we  have  ever  raised ;  a  freestone,  ripe  in  August. 

No.  3.  Red  Rareripe.  —  This  is  a  large  free- 
stone peach  ;  form  nearly  round  ;  the  skin  of  a  very 
bright  yellow,  with  a  light  red  cheek  ;  the  flesh  very 
rich  and  excellent.  Ripe  in  August. 


96  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  4.  White  Rareripe.  —  This  peach  is  of 
large  size,  the  form  somewhat  oblong,  the  skin  a 
pale  yellow,  nearly  white  ;  flesh  white,  juicy  and  of 
fine  flavor.  Ripe  in  August. 

No.  5.  Red  and  Yellow  Rareripe.  —  A  large 
round  freestone  peach ;  the  skin  of  a  deep  orange 
yellow,  with  a  dark  red  cheek  ;  the  flesh  deep  yel- 
low, rich,  sweet  and  luscious.  The  tree  is  an  abun- 
dant bearer  ;  and  a  most  valuable  peach  —  ripening 
in  August. 

[This  variety  ripens  with  us  nearly  a  month  earlier  than  the 
Royal  George  Freestone.] 

No.  6.  Grosse  Mignonne.  —  This  is  a  large, 
round  and  most  beautiful  freestone  peach ;  the  skin 
deep  yellow,  with  a  brownish  red  cheek  next  the 
sun  ;  flesh  light  yellow,  fine  and  delicious.  A  peach 
of  the  highest  character.  Ripe  in  August. 

[This  sort,  and  the  Malta,  are  our  best  peaches.] 

No.  7.  Red  Cheek  Melacaton.  —  A  large  free- 
stone peach,  of  an  oblong  shape,  the  skin  of  an 
orange  yellow,  with  a  dark  red  cheek  ;  flesh  yellow, 
melting  and  rich.  Ripe  in  September. 

[This  variety  has  not  ripened  with  us  for  the  past  two 
years  until  the  last  of  October.  It  is  the  best  late  peach  we 
cultivate.] 

No.  8.  Malta.  —  This  peach  is  of  a  large  size ; 
form  round,  rather  flat  at  the  stem ;  the  skin  a  light 


PEACHES.  97 

green,  mottled  and  blotched  on  the  sunny  side  with 
dull  red ;  the  flesh  greenish  yellow,  red  next  the 
stone,  with  a  most  superior  flavor ;  a  freestone  peach. 
Ripe  in  September. 

[This  variety,  although  not  a  great  bearer,  is  the  most  deli- 
cious peach  in  our  grounds.] 

No.  9.  President.  —  A  large  and  most  superior 
freestone  peach ;  the  form  roundish  oblong ;  the 
skin  pale  yellow  with  a  bright  red  cheek ;  the  sur- 
face covered  with  small  red  spots,  which  give  it  a 
rich  and  beautiful  appearance ;  the  flesh  white  and 
high  flavored  ;  one  of  the  best  of  peaches.  Ripe  in 
September. 

No.  10.  Belle  de  Vitry. —  This  peach  is  of 
large  size  ;  the  form  round,  a  little  oblong ;  the  skin 
a  dull  yellow  and  red  ;  the  flesh  melting,  juicy  and 
excellent ;  between  a  freestone  and  clingstone.  Ripe 
in  September. 

No.  11.  White  Blossom.  —  Of  medium  size, 
oblong ;  the  skin  a  very  light  yellow,  nearly  white ; 
the  flesh  white,  melting  and  extremely  juicy,  with  a 
most  agreeable  acidity.  Ripe  in  September.  We 
have  found  this  a  hardy  peach,  and  most  certain 
bearer  in  our  climate.  We  have  for  several  years 
reproduced  them  from  the  stone.  The  blossoms 
are  clear  white,  and  the  young  wood  resembles  that 
of  the  willow  tree. 

9 


98  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  12.  Orange  Freestone.  —  This  peach  is  of 
medium  size ;  the  form  round ;  the  skin  a  deep 
orange  yellow ;  flesh  yellow  and  sweet,  but  rather 
dry ;  a  beautiful  and  good  fruit.  Ripe  in  Sep- 
tember. 

No.  13.  Congress  Clingstone.  —  The  size  is 
large,  form  round ;  skin  yellow  and  bright  red  ; 
flesh  rich  and  excellent.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  14.  Oldmixon  Clingstone. — Large,  round 
and  rather  flat ;  skin  whitish  yellow,  with  a  bright 
red  cheek,  beautifully  spotted  with  red  dots.  Of 
all  the  clingstone  peaches  this  is  the  most  delicious ; 
a  great  bearer,  ripening  its  fruit  gradually  in  Sep- 
tember. We  have  cultivated  this  peach,  and  the 
Catharine  and  old  Newington,  and  could  never  per- 
ceive any  difference  in  the  fruit  or  trees. 

No.  1 5.  Heath  Clingstone.  —  Fruit  large,  ob- 
long ;  skin  of  a  delicate  cream  color,  sometimes  with 
a  faint  blush  on  the  sunny  side  ;  flesh  rich,  very  juicy, 
and  fine  flavored.  Ripe  in  October,  and  we  have 
eaten  them  produced  in  our  own  orchard  in  the 
highest  perfection,  on  Thanksgiving  day,  Novem- 
ber 30th. 

[This  sort  rarely  ripens  upon  open  standards.] 

The  nectarine  and  the  apricot,  so  nearly  allied  to 
the  peach,  we  should  not  recommend  for  cultivation 
upon  standards,  but  inoculated  upon  the  plum  stock, 


PEACHES.  99 

and  trained  as  espaliers  upon  walls  or  fences.  They 
often  produce  fine  fruit,  particularly  the  apricot. 
The  following  are  among  the  best  varieties  of  the 
latter  fruit :  —  Peach,  Apricot,  Moorpark,  Holland, 
and  Hemskirke. 

Added  to  the  list  by  the  compiler. 
No.  16.  Crawford's  Early.  —  This  is  a  large 
sized  fruit,  the  form  round,  the  skin  of  a  beautiful 
bright  yellow,  with  a  large  portion  of  red  on  the  side 
exposed  to  the  sun  ;  the  flesh  melting ;  a  freestone, 
and  a  popular  early  variety,  ripening  in  August. 

No.  17.  Cooledge's  Favorite.  —  A  large  sized, 
rather  oblong  peach,  of  fine  flavor,  and  a  popular 
fruit  in  the  market.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  18.  Early  York.  —  The  peach  we  cultivate 
under  this  name  resembles  the  Royal  George,  in 
form,  flavor,  color,  and  time  of  ripening ;  it  is,  how- 
ever, a  much  greater  bearer,  and  is  the  most  profita- 
ble variety  for  fruiting  we  possess. 

No.  19.  George  the  Fourth.  —  An  excellent 
peach,  of  medium  size,  and  globular  shape,  of  a  pale 
yellow  color  in  the  shade,  and  dark  red  next  the  sun  ; 
flesh  yellow,  but  red  at  the  stone,  from  which  it 
separates.  Originated  in  New  York  ;  ripe  in  Sep- 
tember. 


100  FRUIT    BOOK, 


THE  PLUM. 

The  native  country  of  the  plum  is  supposed  to  be 
Asia.  The  majority  of  our  finest  varieties  have  been 
introduced  from  France.  Of  sixty-four  sorts,  de- 
scribed by  Professor  Bradley,  not  one  has  other  than 
a  French  name.  Since  his  time,  however,  a  great 
variety  have  been  produced  in  England  and  in  this 
country,  and  new  sorts  are  constantly  being  pro- 
duced. Corse,  of  Montreal,  has  brought  forward 
many  fine  plums.  Among  those  kinds  which  have 
originated  from  seed  in  our  country,  the  Washing- 
ton, Imperial,  Bleeker's,  Cooper's,  Roe's  Autumn, 
Cruger's  Scarlet,  Pond's  Seedling,  and  Corse's  varie- 
ties, are  among  our  best  native  plums.  The  plum 
tree  flourishes  best  in  a  rich  sandy  loam,  neither  too 
dry  nor  too  moist ;  a  cold,  wet,  clayey  soil,  or  dry 
sandy  situation,  is  not  so  favorable.  They  appear  to 
thrive  best  in  our  neighborhood,  near  the  borders  of 
the  sea  ;  which  we  think  is  owing  to  their  being  in 
such  situations  not  so  subject  to  the  insect  called 
curculio,  which  perforates  the  fruit.  We  have  since 
1841  applied  annually,  in  the  spring,  coarse  salt 
around  these  trees,  with  good  effect,  spreading  upon 
the  top  of  the  ground,  as  far  as  the  branches  extend, 
about  one  inch  in  depth,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
fortnight  after  its  application,  turning  it  under  the 
surface  nearly  the  depth  of  a  spade.  In  1843  we 
fruited  thirty  varieties,  all  ripened,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Coe's  Late  Red.  The  following,  from  a 


PLUMS.  101 

practical  cultivator  of  this  fruit,  we  would  recom- 
mend :  — "  When  this  tree  has  arrived  to  maturity, 
and  ready  to  bear,  the  soil  around,  to  the  spread  of 
the  branches,  should  be  thrown  into  a  hard  texture 
of  the  consistency  of  a  gravel  walk.  A  pig  or  poultry 
yard,  with  a  hard  pan,  is  a  fine  position  for  a  plum 
nursery.  The  advantages  are,  a  more  stinted, 
and,  consequently,  a  less  exuberant  growth  of  the 
branches,  a  greater  supply  to  the  fruit,  and  a  pre- 
vention, in  some  degree,  from  the  attack  of  the 
curculio,  as  that  insect,  not  meeting  with  a  proper 
soil  to  deposit  its  egg,  will  take  shelter  elsewhere." 

Removing  the  soil  from  around  these  trees  to  the 
extent  of  its  branches,  even  to  the  laying  bare  the 
top  roots,  and  filling  the  hole  with  fresh  sea  mud  or 
salt  sand,  is  found  beneficial  to  the  production  of  its 
fruit.  Many  set  their  plum  trees  too  deep,  particu- 
larly in  rich  soils,  causing  them  to  produce  strong 
watery  shoots,  growing  so  late  as  to  be  imperfectly 
ripened.  "They  require,"  says  Kennedy,  "like  all 
other  stone  fruit,  to  be  planted  on  a  dry  sub-soil ;  in 
such  situations  they  bear  high  flavored  fruit  in  great 
quantities.  They  are  not  so  large  as  when  planted 
in  strong  earth,  but  the  quality  and  richness  of  the 
flavor  make  amends  for  that  deficiency."  M'Intosh 
observes,  "  That  in  planting  this  tree  the  tap-roots 
should  be  shortened,  and  the  others  spread  out  in  a 
regular  manner  near  the  surface,  so  that  they  may 
enjoy  the  warmth  of  the  sun,  heat  and  air,  which  is 
necessary  for  the  welfare  of  all  fruit-bearing  trees. 
If  planted  in  too  rich  a  soil,  they  become  so  luxuri- 
9* 


102 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


ant  in  growth,  as  to  require  immoderate  pruning  to 
keep  them  within  due  bounds  ;  and  excessive  prun- 
ing, in  such  cases,  only  tends  to  aggravate  the  evil." 
Plum  trees  are  subject  to  a  disease  which  has  been 
so  destructive  to  them,  as  to  have  destroyed  nearly 
all  the  damson  plums  heretofore  so  common  in  our 
neighborhood.  It  appears  at  first  a  greenish  brown 
excrescence,  which  soon  becomes  black.  Various 
are  the  hypotheses  which  have  been  given  as  to  the 
cause  of  these  warts.  Some  have  attributed  it  to 
the  quality  of  the  soil,  others  to  a  redundance  of 
nourishment,  which  distend  the  cutaneous  vessels  by 
an  extravasation  of  the  sap ;  others  to  a  much  more 
rational  and  philosophic  solution,  attributing  it  as  the 
work  of  an  insect.  In  our  examinations,  &c.  for 
fiye  years  on  this  subject,  it  was  not  until  the  spring 
of  1843  that  we  were  able  to  find  an  insect  in  these 
excrescences  while  in  a  green  and  fresh  state ;  and 
have  heretofore  been  inclined  to  adopt  the  theory  of 
the  distension  of  the  cutaneous  vessels,  considering 
the  worms  which  we  have  repeatedly  found  in  these 
warts,  when  black,  to  be  a  consequence  and  not  a 
cause  of  this  disease.  We  now  consider  this  excres- 
cence analogous  to  that  which  we  find  upon  the 
swamp  pink,  or  azalea,  called  by  boys  swamp  apples, 
which  has  always  been  supposed  by  botanists  to  be 
caused  by  an  insect.  The  only  remedy  that  we 
have  found  effectual  has  been  the  amputation  of  the 
diseased  limb.  These  excrescences  always  extend- 
ing themselves  upwards,  and  not  downwards,  upon 
the  branches,  would  seern  to  prove  that  the  disease 


PLUMS.  103 

either  enters,  in  some  manner,  into  the  circulation, 
or  that  the  insect  always  ascends. 

We  have  not,  as  yet,  found  any  variety  that  is 
entirely  exempt  from  this  fatality,  but  some  appear 
to  be  more  subject  to  it  than  others ;  which  may, 
however,  be  attributed  more  to  the  locality  than  to 
any  thing  else.  One  thing  we  feel  confident  of  is 
this,  that  the  most  effectual  way  of  eradicating  them 
from  our  gardens,  is  not  only  to  examine  the  trees 
carefully  in  spring,  cutting  off  every  branch  as 
soon  as  they  appear  upon  it,  but  inducing  those  who 
may  have  them  in  their  inclosures  contiguous  to 
ours,  to  do  the  same.  Among  the  kinds  which  have 
fruited  with  us,  we  would  recommend  the  following : 


Green  Gage, 
Purple, 

Bolmar's  Washington, 
Italian  Damask, 
Coe's  Golden  Drop, 
Blue  Imperatrice, 
Cruger's  Scarlet, 
Sharp's  Emperor, 


Imperial  Gage, 
Violet  Perdrigon, 
Orleans, 

Large  Long  Blue, 
Roe's  Autumn  Gage, 
Duane's  Purple, 
Red  Gage, 
Diamond. 


No.  1 .  Italian  Damask.  —  Fruit  of  medium  size, 
round ;  skin  dark  blue,  nearly  black ;  stem  half  an 
inch  long,  inserted  in  a  small  round  cavity ;  flesh 
yellow,  juicy,  and  high  flavored.  A  freestone,  a 
great  bearer,  and  one  of  the  best  early  plums.  Ripe 
in  August. 

No.  2.  Morocco.  —  A  fine  and  very  productive 
variety  ;  the  size  is  rather  small,  nearly  round ;  the 


104  FHUIT    BOOK. 

skin  a  dark  purple,  covered  with  a  blue  bloom ;  flesh 
greenish  yellow,  juicy  and  good.  A  clingstone,  ri- 
pening in  August. 

No.  3.  Prince's  Imperial  Gage.  —  Originated 
at  the  nursery  of  William  Prince  &  Sons,  Flushing, 
N.  Y.  Fruit  nearly  as  large  as  the  yellow  egg  plum  ; 
of  an  oval  form ;  when  fully  ripe  the  skin  is  yellow, 
with  streaks  of  bright  yellow  and  green  indistinctly 
seen ;  the  flesh  rich  and  sweet.  The  most  produc- 
tive and  profitable  of  all  the  plums.  Ripe  in  August. 

[This  variety  succeeds  well  upon  the  peach,  budding  it  as 
near  the  root  as  possible.  We  have  trees  received  from  Alba- 
ny for  Jenkinson's  Imperial,  which  are  identical  with  this  plum.] 

No.  4.  BrevoorVs  Purple  Washington.  —  Pro- 
duced from  the  stone  of  Bolmar's  Washington,  by 
Mr.  Brevoort,  of  New  York.  Fruit  of  large  size  ; 
form  round,  and  nearly  oval ;  skin  dark  blue,  covered 
with  a  bloom ;  the  flesh  sweet  and  good.  A  free- 
stone, ripening  in  September.  The  tree  is  of  vig- 
orous growth  and  very  productive. 

No.  5.  Orleans.  —  This  is  a  well  known  and 
productive  plum ;  the  fruit  is  sometimes  large,  the 
form  round,  the  skin  dark,  approaching  to  a  purple, 
with  a  thin  blue  bloom ;  the  flesh  yellow,  firm  and 
good,  with  some  astringency  near  the  stone,  from 
which  the  flesh  separates.  Ripe  in  August. 

No.  6.     Kirk's  Plum.  —  Fruit  large,  round  ;  skin 


PLUMS.  105 

dark  purple,  covered  with  a  dense  bloom,  which  ad- 
heres firmly  to  the  skin  ;  flesh  yellow,  juicy  and  rich. 
A  very  productive  freestone  plum,  ripening  in  Au- 
gust. 

No.  7.  Purple  Gage.  —  Fruit  of  medium  size, 
nearly  round,  a  little  flattened  at  the  ends ;  skin  of 
a  violet  color,  with  a  light  blue  bloom  ;  the  flesh 
greenish,  rich  and  high  flavored.  A  first  rate  free- 
stone plum,  a  great  bearer.  Ripe  in  August. 

[This  sort,  and  No.  9,  are  the  finest  flavored  plums  in  our 
collection.  This  variety  hangs  longer  upon  the  tiee  than  the 
Green  Gage.] 

No.  8.  Large  Long  Blue.  —  The  origin  of  this 
fine  plum  is  uncertain.  The  tree  which  produced 
the  specimens  was  procured  from  the  nursery  of  the 
Messrs.  Landreth,  Philadelphia.  The  size  is  large, 
the  form  oval,  very  long ;  the  skin  blue,  nearly  black, 
covered  with  a  thick  bloom ;  the  flesh  yellow,  rich 
and  excellent ;  it  hangs  a  long  time  on  the  tree,  ri- 
pening gradually,  and  is  well  adapted  to  the  market, 
bearing  carriage  better  than  most  other  plums.  It  is 
a  great  bearer,  a  freestone.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  9.  Green  Gage.  —  The  finest  of  all  plums ; 
of  medium  size,  round ;  the  skin  a  greenish  yellow, 
when  very  ripe  nearly  yellow,  mottled  with  red  near 
the  stem  ;  flesh  sugary  and  of  delicious  flavor.  In 
our  own  exposed  grounds,  and  in  grass,  it  bears 
abundant  crops,  not  being  subject  to  rot  like  many 


106  FRUIT  BOOK. 

fine  plums.     A  freestone,   ripening  in   August  and 
September. 

[The  varieties  of  plums  which  we  have  received  from  Eu- 
rope under  the  names  of  Drap  d'Or,  and  Golden  Gage,  have 
proved  to  be  the  above.  We  have  a  tree  received  from  the 
South,  for  the  Green  Gage,  that  produces  fruit  resembling  the 
Yellow  Gage  of  the  London  Horticultural  Society's  Catalogue.] 

No.  10.  Bleeker's  Gage.  —  Produced  from  seed 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bleeker,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  The 
form  oval,  nearly  round ;  skin  a  dark  yellow,  with 
dark  red  spots  and  blotches ;  the  flesh  is  rich  and 
excellent,  a  great  bearer.  Ripe  in  September. 

No.  11.  Cooper's  Plum.  —  Produced  from  a 
stone  of  the  Orleans,  by  Mr.  Joseph  Cooper,  of  New 
Jersey  ;  the  size  is  very  large,  round,  a  little  oblong  ; 
the  skin  a  dark  purple  ;  flesh  greenish  yellow,  rich 
and  good.  It  ripens  in  September  ;  produces  abun- 
dant crops ;  but  is  very  subject  to  rot  at  the  period 
of  ripening. 

[We  received  this  fruit  from  Europe  under  the  name  of 
"  La  Delicieuse."] 

No.  12.  Elfrey.  —  This  is  a  plum  of  small  size 
and  oval  form ;  the  skin  dark  blue  ;  the  flesh  dry, 
firm  and  of  fine  flavor.  The  trees  produce  abun- 
dantly. A  freestone  —  ripening  in  September. 

No.  13.  German  Prune.  —  Fruit  of  medium 
size  ;  form  oval,  diminishing  towards  the  stem  ;  the 


PLUMS.  107 

skin  purple  with  a  blue  bloom  ;  the  flesh  rich,  sweet 
and  delicious.  It  produces  abundantly;  it  begins 
to  ripen  in  August,  and  can  be  eaten  from  the  tree 
for  a  month  or  more. 

No.  14.  Duane's  Purple.  —  This  is  a  plum  of 
an  extraordinary  size  ;  the  form  round ;  the  skin  a 
dark  purple  ;  flavor  good.  The  origin  of  this  plum 
is  uncertain ;  it  ripens  in  September,  and  has  the 
reputation  of  being  a  fine  fruit. 

No.  15.  Bingham. —  Fruit  large;  the  form 
oval  ;  skin  a  bright  yellow,  spotted  and  blotched 
with  red ;  the  flesh  yellow,  rich  and  delicious.  A 
clingstone  —  ripening  in  September. 

No.  16.  Washington.  —  This  very  superior 
plum  originated  in  New  York ;  the  size  is  very 
large ;  form  oval ;  skin  an  orange  yellow,  speckled 
with  red  ;  the  flesh  yellow,  sweet  and  excellent ; 
highly  esteemed  as  a  first  rate  plum.  Ripe  in  Sep- 
tember. 

No.  17.  Italian  Prune.  —  The  size  is  large; 
form  oblong ;  the  skin  dark  purple,  covered  with  a 
bloom ;  flesh  greenish  yellow,  firm,  dry  and  fine. 
It  bears  well,  and  the  fruit  ripens  in  September  and 
October. 

No.  18.  Diamond.  —  This  new  plum  originated 
in  England ;  it  is  of  the  largest  size,  oblong ;  the 


108  FRUIT    BOOK. 

skin  purple,  neatly  black,  covered  with  a  thick 
bloom  ;  the  flesh  firm  and  good,  but  not  rich ;  the 
tree  is  of  rapid  growth  —  an  extraordinary  bearer. 
The  fruit  ripens  in  September. 

No.  19.  Blue  Imperatrice. — Fruit  of  medium 
size  ;  shape  oblong,  tapering  to  the  stem ;  the  skin 
a  dark  purple,  covered  with  a  light  bluish  bloom ; 
the  flesh  yellowish  green,  firm,  rich  and  sweet.  A 
clingstone.  A  great  bearer.  It  hangs  on  the  tree 
a  long  time,  and  is  in  use  in  October  and  No- 
vember. 

[This  variety  bears  greatly  upon  small  trees.] 

No.  20.  Coe's  Golden  Drop.  —  This  beautiful 
new  plum  is  of  large  size  ;  the  form  is  oval,  with 
unequal  sides  ;  the  skin  a  golden  yellow,  spotted 
with  rich  red  points  and  small  blotches,  on  the  sun- 
ny side  ;  the  flesh  yellow,  sweet  and  delicious.  A 
clingstone  —  an  abundant  bearer.  Ripening  grad- 
ually in  September,  October  and  November.  Of 
all  the  late  plums  this  is  decidedly  the  best  and  the 
most  profitable  which  can  be  cultivated. 

[This  variety,  as  well  as  No.  19,  requires  a  warm  exposure 
to  ripen  its  fruit.  The  tree  makes  a  great  growth  when 
worked  upon  the  peach  root.] 

The  following  varieties  are  added  to  this  edition. 

No.  21.  Cruger's  Scarlet  Gage.  —  This  showy 
scarlet  plum,  of  the  size  of  the  green  gage,  and  a 


PLUMS.  109 

great  bearer,  originated  near  Newburgh,  N.  Y. 
Flesh  yellow,  sweet,  and  of  good  flavor,  ripening 
from  September  to  October,  and  is  the  least  liable  to 
drop  from  the  tree  than  any  other  in  our  collection. 

No.  22.  Roe's  Autumn  Gage.  —  This  plum  we 
received  from  A.  J.  Downing,  &  Co.  Newburgh,  N.  Y. 
It  is  a  fine,  late  fruit,  coming  into  eating  just  after  the 
above  variety  ;  the  form  is  oblong,  color  orange  yel- 
low, good  size,  and  great  bearer ;  flavor  sweet  and 
rich,  ripening  in  October. 

No.  23.  White  Sweet  Damson.  — This  seedling 
plum  is  a  great  bearer,  ripening  gradually  from  Sep- 
tember to  October ;  flavor  sweet,  not  rich ;  color 
light  yellow,  but  its  fruitfulness  and  its  early  bearing 
render  it  worthy  of  cultivation.  Raised  in  Essex 
county,  Mass. 

No.  24.  Sharp's  Emperor.  —  The  fruit  of  this 
variety  is  of  the  most  beautiful  red ;  form  inclined 
to  oval,  resembling  the  imperial  gage  ;  flavor  sweet. 
The  tree  bears  well,  and  is  worthy  a  place  in  every 
fruit  garden. 

No.  25.  Dana's  Yellow  Gage.  —  This  plum,  a 
native  of  Ipswich,  Mass.,  we  received  from  Mr. 
Manning ;  and  it  is  said  to  be  exempt  from  the  warts 
which  injure  most  trees.  We  have  not,  as  yet,  ob- 
served any  of  these  excrescences  upon  the  tree,  which 

is  large.     The  fruit  is  of  a  pale  yellow  color,  medium 
10 


110  FRUIT    BOOK. 

size,  flesh  juicy  and  sweet,  and  the  tree  promises  to 
be  a  good  bearer. 


PLUM    STOCKS    FOR    PEACHES. 

In  England,  where  peaches  are  invariably  raised 
upon  walls,  or  trellises,  they  almost  universally  make 
use  of  the  plum  as  a  stock  to  graft  upon.  In  bur 
country,  where  peach  trees  grow  so  luxuriantly,  we 
should  not  recommend  this  stock,  as  the  scion  not 
only  overgrows  it  in  a  short  time,  producing  an  un- 
sightly appearance,  but  is  exceedingly  apt  to  be  blown 
down  by  the  wind  ;  the  roots  of  the  plum  being  of  a 
much  slower  growth,  are  not  sufficiently  large  and 
expanded  to  support  the  larger  top  or  branches. 

Budding  the  peach  upon  this  stock,  even  to  the 
height  of  six  or  eight  inches  from  the  ground,  we 
have  found  no  security  from  the  ravages  of  the  borer, 
as  that  insect  will  pass  over  the  plum,  and  enter  into 
the  peach  at,  or  just  above  the  junction.  We  have 
generally  preferred  to  bud  on  stocks  of  seedling 
peaches,  considering  them  decidedly  superior  to  the 
plum,  particularly  when  wanted  for  standards. 


THE  CHERRY. 


The  wild  cherry  is  a  native  of  many  parts  of  the 
world,  and  has  been  cultivated  in  the  East  from  the 
Christian  era.  Cherries  were  exposed  in  the  streets 


CHERRIES.  Ill 

of  London  in  1415,  much  in  the  manner  they  are  at 
present.  Mclntosh  remarks,  that  cherries  have  not 
multiplied  so  fast  into  varieties  as  most  other  fruits. 
Forsyth  describes  eighteen  sorts ;  Lindley  twenty- 
eight  ;  Nicol  eight ;  Rogers  twenty-five ;  the  Horti- 
cultural Society  of  London,  fifty-seven  ;  and  Loudon, 
twenty-three.  This  tree  will  accommodate  itself  to 
a  variety  of  soils,  but  the  best  is  that  of  a  light  loam 
upon  a  dry  sub-soil,  and  in  an  airy  exposure,  not 
shaded  by  larger  trees.  In  planting  this,  as  with 
other  fruit  trees  generally,  we  prefer  the  autumn  for 
light  soils,  and  spring,  for  those  of  a  heavy  and  wet 
nature  ;  and  also  to  transplant  in  moist  weather. 
Standard  cherries,  when  once  established,  require 
very  little  pruning.  They  in  general  produce  fruit 
upon  spurs  which  proceed  from  the  sides  of  the  two 
year,  three  year,  and  older  branches.  These  spurs 
continue  to  make  their  appearance  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  shoots.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  immoderate  pruning  is  highly  injurious  to  the 
cherry,  and  also  to  the  plum.  The  following  are 
some  of  our  best  varieties  of  cherries. 


Black  Tartarian. 
Honey  Heart. 
Black  Eagle. 
Elton. 

Black  Heart. 
White  Bigarreau. 


Napoleon. 

Mottled  Bigarreau. 

Manning's  Fine  Red. 

Davenport's. 

Gridley. 

Manning's  Black  Bigarreau. 


No.  1.  May  duke.  —  Fruit  of  medium  size,  round  ; 
the  skin,  when  fully  ripe,  very  dark  red ;  the  flesh 
tender,  juicy,  and  good.  It  is  very  productive,  and 
the  fruit  ripens  the  last  of  June. 

No.  2.     Davenport's.  — This  fine  cherry  origi- 


FRUIT    BOOK. 

nated  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Davenport,  in  Dorchester, 
Mass.  ;  the  fruit  is  large,  skin  bright  red  ;  the  flesh 
firm,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  It  is  an  early  and  most 
extraordinary  bearer.  Fruit  ripe  early  in  July. 

No.  3.  Black  Tartarian.  —  One  of  the  finest 
and  most  productive  cherries ;  the  size  is  large,  heart- 
shaped  ;  the  color,  when  fully  ripe,  is  black  ;  flesh 
dark  red,  tender,  and  of  superior  flavor.  Ripe  early 
in  July. 

No.  4.  Napoleon  Bigarreau.  —  The  tree  of  this 
variety  is  remarkable  for  the  vigor  and  beauty  of  its 
growth ;  the  leaves  are  large  and  smooth.  It  is  a 
fine  large  white  cherry,  ripening  in  July.  As  they 
have  just  come  into  bearing  upon  small  trees,  we 
cannot  as  yet  say  how  productive  they  may  be. 

[This  variety  is  more  productive  in  our  soil,  than  No.  3.] 

No.  5.  Black  Heart.  —  A  well  known  and 
favorite  cherry,  of  medium  size  ;  the  skin,  when  at 
maturity,  is  black  ;  flesh  dark  red,  tender,  and  of 
fine  flavor.  Ripe  in  July.  Very  productive.  We 
seldom  see  this  cherry  brought  to  market  perfectly 
ripe ;  when  suffered  to  remain  on  the  tree  till  they 
have  acquired  their  proper  color,  they  are  very  supe- 
rior. 

No.  6.  Florence.  —  This  cherry  resembles  the 
White  Bigarreau,  but  is  a  little  more  oblong ;  the 
flesh  m«ore  tender,  and  ripens  a  few  days  earlier. 
Very  fine  and  productive. 


CHERRIES.  113 

No.  7.  Elton.  —  A  new  and  very  fine  cherry, 
raised  by  Mr.  Knight,  President  of  the  London  Hor- 
ticultural Society.  It  is  of  medium  size,  long  heart- 
shape  ;  of  a  beautiful  cream  color,  marbled  with 
bright  red  next  the  sun  ;  flesh  rich  and  excellent. 
It  is  ripe  about  the  first  of  July,  and  promises, 
when  the  tree  has  attained  a  proper  size,  to  be  a 
great  bearer. 

No.  8.  White  Bigarreau.  —  One  of  the  largest 
and  finest  cherries ;  the  form  obtuse,  heart-shaped  ; 
skin  pale  yellow,  with  a  bright  red  cheek  ;  flesh  very 
firm,  juicy,  sweet  and  fine  flavored.  Ripe  in  July. 
This  cherry  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  bad 
bearer.  In  our  orchard  it  bears  abundantly,  and, 
owing  to  the  hardness  of  its  flesh,  is  not  liable  to 
injury  from  birds ;  on  this  account  it  is  highly 
deserving  of  cultivation. 

No.  9.  Black  Eagle.  —  This  is  a  new  cherry. 
The  size  is  sometimes  large,  shape  nearly  that  of  the 
black  heart ;  skin  a  very  dark  purple  ;  flesh  tender, 
of  superior  flavor ;  the  young  trees  bear  well.  Ripe 
in  July. 

No.  1 0.  Gridley.  —  Originated  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  Gridley,  in  Roxbury,  Mass.  Fruit  of  medium 
size,  nearly  round ;  skin  black  ;  flesh  firm,  rather 
dry,  of  good  flavor,  and  a  most  abundant  bearer. 
Ripe  in  July. 

10* 


114  FRUIT    BOOK. 

No.  11.  Downer.  —  This  fine  cherry  originated 
in  the  garden  of  Samuel  Downer,  Esq.  in  Dorches- 
ter. It  is  a  large,  round  cherry,  of  a  light  red  color ; 
flesh  firm,  and  of  a  fine  sprightly  flavor.  It  ripens 
in  July,  and  is  very  productive. 

No.  12.  Late  Duke. — The  size  is  large,  heart 
shape,  rather  flat ;  the  skin  a  shining  dark  red  ;  flesh 
tender,  juicy  and  good.  It  is  a  great  bearer.  Ripe 
late  in  July. 

No.  13.  White  Mazzard. —  A  new  fruit,  which 
originated  in  the  Pomological  Garden,  from  a  stone 
of  the  White  Bigarreau  ;  it  is  of  the  size,  form,  and 
color,  of  the  Elton  ;  the  tree  is  of  a  handsome  and 
upright  growth,  and  bears  well.  Ripe  in  August. 

No.  14.  Plumstone  Morello.  —  This  is  the  lar- 
gest and  finest  of  the  acid  cherries  ;  the  skin  is  very 
dark  red,  when  fully  ripe  it  is  nearly  black ;  flesh 
dark  red,  and  of  a  sharp,  rich,  and  agreeable  flavor. 
A  great  bearer;  it  remains  late  on  the  tree  in  a 
sound  state. 

Added  by  the  compiler  of  this  edition. 

No.  15.  Manning's  Black  Bigaireau. —  This 
cherry,  a  seedling  from  the  White  Bigarreau,  is  of  a 
fine  sprightly  flavor,  flesh  firm,  a  great  bearer,  not 
subject  to  rot  at  the  time  of  ripening,  which  is  in  the 
middle  of  July. 


GRAPES.  115 

No.  16.  Mottled  Bigarreau. —  This  is  also  a 
seedling  of  Mr.  Manning's  from  the  White  Bigar- 
reau ;  it  is  a  superior  large  and  sweet  cherry,  ripen- 
ing from  ten  days  to  a  fortnight  earlier  than  its 
parent,  and  less  liable  to  rot  on  the  tree  ;  we  consider 
it  as  good  a  variety  as  we  possess.  Ripe  in  July. 

No.  17.  Early  Red  and  Yellow.  —  Fruit  medi- 
um size,  obtuse,  heart-shaped,  light  red  on  a  yellow 
ground ;  sweet  and  juicy,  a  great  bearer,  and  the 
earliest  cherry  we  cultivate,  ripening  in  June.  This 
variety  was  raised  by  Mr.  Manning  from  the  seed  of 
the  White  Bigarreau. 


THE  GRAPE. 

Great  difficulties  are  attendant  upon  the  raising  of 
foreign  grapes  in  the  open  air,  except  in  our  cities, 
where,  occasionally)  a  crop  is  obtained  of  the  Chas- 
selas  or  Sweetwater.  In  this  compilation  we  intend 
to  confine  ourselves  to  out-door  culture,  and  of  the 
variety  which  we  have  cultivated  for  ten  years  past, 
viz.,  the  "  Isabella,"  a  native  grape,  introduced  from 
South  Carolina  some  years  since  by  William  Prince, 
of  New  York.  This  vine  is  extraordinary  for  the 
vigor  of  its  growth  and  great  productiveness.  A 
single  one  planted  on  Long  Island,  produced,  in 
1820,  eight  bushels.  It  is  a  late  fruit,  and  conse- 
quently in  a  shady  situation,  or  upon  an  open  trellis, 
rarely  ripens  its  berries.  It  should  be  trained  to  a 


116  FRUIT    BOOK. 

wall,  fence,  or  outbuilding,  where  it  can  receive  the 
sun's  rays  nearly  the  whole  day,  at  least  from  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  three  or  four  in  the  after- 
noon. We  recommend  this  grape,  from  the  circum- 
stance that  we  have  never,  as  yet,  been  able  to  find 
any  other  variety  which,  upon  the  whole,  is  prefera- 
ble. The  "  Catawba,"  considered  by  Adlum  to  be 
worth  all  others  as  a  wine  grape,  we  have  found  to 
be  a  still  later  variety,  having  cultivated  it  for  two 
years  without  ripening  a  single  bunch.  In  the  culti- 
vation of  the  Isabella  we  have  found  the  following 
method,  (which  we  tried  a  few  years  since,)  to  accele- 
rate the  growth  of  this  vine,  as  well  as  its  flowering, 
viz.  —  Remove  the  top  earth  from  around  the  trunk 
as  far  as  the  roots  extend,  and  then  place  large 
stones  upon  the  surface,  watering  occasionally,  par- 
ticularly in  dry  weather,  with  soap  suds.  These 
stones  retain  the  heat,  which  they  received  from  the 
sun's  rays  during  the  day,  a  great  part  of  the  night. 
We  know  of  no  fruit  which  will,  with  such  certainty, 
annually  produce  a  crop,  as  this  variety  of  grape. 
This  vine  is  so  luxuriant  in  its  growth,  and  the  im- 
mense quantity  of  wood  which  it  annually  produces, 
requires  frequent  use  of  the  pruning  knife,  as  it 
will  always  set  more  fruit  than  it  can  bring  to  matu- 
rity, which  but  serves  to  weaken  and  exhaust  the 
plant.  The  importance  attached  to  this  point  of 
culture,  in  reference  to  the  capability  of  the  vine  for 
fruiting  in  foreign  countries,  as  stated  by  Miller,  is 
"  That  when  gentlemen  let  out  vineyards,  there  is 
always  a  clause  inserted  in  their  leases,  to  direct  how 


GRAPES.  117 

many  shoots  shall  be  left  upon  each  vine,  and  the 
number  of  eyes  to  which  the  branches  must  be  short- 
ened." This  is  done  to  prevent  the  exhausting  of 
the  roots,  and  rendering  them  so  weak  as  not  to 
recover  their  wonted  strength  for  several  years.  The 
pruning  of  the  Isabella  grape  here  is  generally  done 
in  the  fall,  which  should  be  done  at  or  soon  after  the 
gathering  of  the  fruit ;  for  by  this  early  pruning,  the 
buds  are  said  to  push  earlier  in  the  following  spring. 
We  have  generally  performed  this  in  March.  This 
season  is  often  objected  to,  from  the  fear  of  their 
bleeding ;  this,  however,  rarely  takes  place,  pro- 
vided it  is  performed  early,  and  the  section  which 
is  laid  bare  be  presented  to  the  sun's  rays,  which 
will  almost  invariably  close  up  the  sap  vessels.  They 
should,  therefore,  be  cut  from  the  outside,  inward, 
in  an  oblique  direction. 

In  the  cultivation  of  this  grape,  we  have  found 
that  the  shoots  which  come  out  from  the  main  stock, 
nearest  the  ground,  should  be  trained  up  for  annual 
bearers,  and  that  in  the  summer  pruning,  the  laterals 
which  spring  out  from  the  joint  upon  the  strong 
wood  should  not  be  broken  out  close  to  the  fruit  bud 
for  the  next  season,  (as  is  often  done  to  the  loss  of 
fruit,)  but  cut  off  above  the  first  joint.  The  laterals 
or  side  shoots  containing  bunches  of  fruit,  (two 
bunches,  at  the  most,  should  be  suffered  to  remain 
upon  one  shoot,)  should  be  topped  when  they  are 
about  six  inches  in  length,  always  leaving  one  joint 
beyond  the  fruit ;  the  tendrils  should  also  be  taken 
off  near  the  branch,  for  if  left  they  will  often  entwine 
themselves  round  the  adjacent  shoots,  and  cripple 


118  FRUIT    BOOK. 

them.  The  proper  soil  for  the  grape  vine  is  of  more 
importance  than  is  generally  supposed  ;  for,  as  Hoare 
remarks  of  English  culture,  (which  will  apply  in  a 
great  measure  to  our  own,)  "  that  vines  may  be 
seen  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  the  fruit  on  which 
looks  well  during  the  early  part  of  the  season ;  but 
when  the  ripening  season  arrives,  the  berries  become 
green  and  hard,  or  otherwise  they  shrivel  and  decay. 
These  results  are  sure  to  be  produced  when  the  roots 
grow  in  a  soil  that  is  too  wet  and  adhesive,  and  into 
which  the  sun  and  air  cannot  freely  penetrate." 

The  Isabella  vine  will  grow  most  luxuriantly  in 
rich,  deep  soils,  producing  large  shoots  and  leaves, 
but  the  shoots  and  fruit  ripen  later,  if  they  ripen  at 
all.  The  best  soil  we  consider  to  be  that  of  a  light 
loam,  not  deeper  than  twenty  inches,  mixed  in  with 
bones,  old  mortar,  oyster  shells,  &c.  "  Retentive 
clays,"  as  Loudon  justly  observes,  "  are  the  worst 
soil  for  the  vine  ;  "  they  are  particularly  so  if  upon  a 
wet  and  cold  sub-soil. 

The  grape  is  easily  raised  from  cuttings  ;  these 
must  be  taken  from  shoots  of  the  last  summer's 
growth,  taken  off  the  vine  previous  to  the  swelling 
of  the  buds  in  the  spring ;  shorten  these  to  three 
joints,  and,  when  they  admit,  let  each  cutting  have 
about  an  inch  of  the  previous  year's  wood  at  its 
bottom ;  they  may  be  planted  either  in  nursery  rows, 
or  in  places  where  they  are  finally  to  remain,  observ- 
ing to  plant  them  somewhat  slanting,  and  so  deep 
that  only  one  joint  or  eye  may  appear  above  ground. 
Vines  are  also  propagated  by  layers  of  young  shoots, 
or  with  part  of  the  branch  they  proceed  from  ;  laying 


GRAPES.  119 

them  from  three  to  four  or  five  inches  deep  in  the 
earth ;  leaving  three  eyes  of  the  shoot  out  of  the 
ground,  and  shortening  the  top  if  too  long.  Or,  you 
may  make  layers  in  large  pots,  placed  near  the  vine  ; 
and  either  draw  the  layer  shoot  through  the  hole  at 
the  bottom  of  the  pot,  and  fill  up  the  pot  with  earth, 
or  bend  the  layer  into  the  top  of  the  pot  a  proper 
depth  into  the  earth.  In  the  former  method,  a  strip 
of  bark  should  be  taken  off  quite  round  the  branch, 
or  a  piece  of  wire  drawn  tightly  around,  at  the  place 
where  the  roots  are  wanted.  In  either  method, 
when  the  layers  are  rooted  next  autumn,  cut  them 
off  from  the  parent  vine. 

Upon  the  subject  of  manuring  vines,  the  following, 
from  one  of  the  most  distinguished  writers  on  Agri- 
cultural Chemistry  of  modern  times,  Doctor  Justus 
Liebig,  of  Europe,  appears  to  us  rational,  as  it  seems 
to  follow  nature  in  her  modes  of  enriching  the 
soil. 

"I  remember,  (says  Fauenfelder,)  that  twenty 
years  ago,  a  man  called  Peter  Muller,  had  a  vine- 
yard here,  which  he  manured  with  the  branches 
pruned  from  the  vines,  and  continued  this  practice 
for  thirty  years.  His  way  of  applying  them  was  to 
hoe  them  into  the  soil,  after  having  cut  them  into 
small  pieces.  His  vineyard  was  always  in  a  thriving 
condition ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  the  peasants 
here  speak  of  it  to  this  day,  wondering  that  old 
Muller  had  so  good  a  vineyard,  and  yet  used  no  ma- 
nure." 

Another   example  of  this   method  of  manuring 


120 


FRUIT    BOOK. 


vines,  is  from  Wilhelm  Ruff,  who  says,  "  that  for  the 
last  ten  years,  I  have  been  unable  to  place  dung  on 
my  vineyard,  because  I  am  poor,  and  can  buy  none. 
But  I  was  very  unwilling  to  allow  my  vines  to  decay, 
as  they  are  my  only  source  of  support  in  my  old  age  ; 
and  I  often  walked  very  anxiously  among  them,  with- 
out knowing  what  I  should  do.  At  last,  my  neces- 
sities became  greater,  which  made  me  more  attentive, 
so  that  I  remarked  that  the  grass  was  longer  in  some 
spots,  where  the  branches  of  the  vine  fell,  than  on 
those  where  there  were  none  ;  so  I  thought  upon 
the  matter,  and  then  said  to  myself,  if  these  branches 
can  make  the  grass  strong  and  green,  they  must  also 
be  able  to  make  my  plants  grow  better,  and  become 
strong  and  green.  I  dug,  therefore,  my  vineyard  as 
deep  as  if  I  would  put  dung  into  it,  and  cut  the 
branches  into  pieces,  placing  them  in  the  holes,  and 
covering  them  with  earth.  In  a  year  I  had  the  very 
great  satisfaction  to  see  my  barren  vineyard  become 
quite  beautiful.  This  plan  I  continued  every  year, 
and  now  my  vines  grow  splendidly,  and  remain  the 
whole  summer,  green,  even  in  the  greatest  heat.  All 
my  neighbors  wonder  very  much  how  my  vineyard 
is  so  rich,  and  that  I  obtain  so  many  grapes  from  it ; 
and  yet  they  all  know  that  I  have  put  no  dung  upon 
it  for  ten  years." 

This  proves,  says  Liebig,  that  a  vineyard  may  be 
retained  in  fertility  without  the  application  of  animal 
matter,  when  the  leaves  and  branches  pruned  from 
the  trees,  are  cut  into  small  pieces  and  used  as  a 
manure. 


THE    QUINCE.  121 


THE  QUINCE. 

This  fruit  is  a  native  of  Austria  and  other  parts  of 
Europe,  and  was  introduced  into  England  at  an 
early  period,  from  whence  we  probably  received  it. 
They  are  said  to  have  been  early  used  in  Europe  for 
hedges  and  fences  to  gardens  and  vineyards.  The 
medicinal  properties  of  this  fruit  was  at  one  time  in 
repute.  There  are  two  well  known  varieties,  viz. : 
the  apple  or  orange,  and  the  Portugal  or  pear-shaped. 
The  former,  which  is  the  best  known  in  New  Eng- 
land, has  leaves  of  a  more  ovate  form,  and  bark  of  a 
lighter  color  than  those  of  the  latter.  They  both 
produce  the  finest  fruit  when  grown  in  a  soft  moist 
soil,  and  warm  exposure,  and  can  be  produced  by 
cuttings  in  such  soil.  These  trees,  or  bushes,  should 
be  planted  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  apart,  requiring 
little  pruning.  They  should,  however,  be  kept  free 
from  suckers,  and  all  old  decayed  wood.  They 
are  easily  grafted  under  the  bark  in  early  spring,  or 
budded  in  August  and  September.  The  orange  we 
have  considered  to  be  earlier  in  its  ripening,  and 
larger  sized  fruit  than  the  Portugal.  Mclntosh  re- 
marks that  he  has  always  observed  the  quince  to 
succeed  the  best  on  the  alluvial  banks  of  rivers. 
There  has  been  an  increased  attention  to  the  culti- 
vation of  the  quince,  for  a  few  years  past,  as  a  mar- 
ket fruit. 


THE  RASPBERRY. 

This  fruit,  which  has  improved  greatly  under  cul- 
11 


122  FRUIT    BOOK. 

tivation,  is  easily  grown,  as  the  old  plants  send  up, 
annually,  a  plenty  of  suckers  from  their  roots,  which 
should  be  taken  up  in  autumn  or  spring,  and  planted 
where  they  are  to  remain.  Among  the  varieties 
which  we  have  seen,  the  Franconia  Red,  Gowen's 
Seedling,  (which  resembles  this  variety)  and  the 
White  Antwerp,  are  the  most  desirable  sorts.  In 
the  selection  of  young  sucker  shoots  to  set  in  the 
spring,  choose  those  that  are  of  strong  growth,  from 
three  to  four  feet  high,  detached  from  the  old  stools 
with  good  roots,  prune  the  top  to  the  first  good  bud, 
plant  them  in  rows  four  feet  and  a  half,  or  five  feet 
asunder,  by  three  feet ;  prune  out  all  dead  stems,  of 
the  last  summer  bearers,  from  the  old  roots,  as  the 
same  shoots  or  stems  never  bear  but  once,  being 
succeeded  by  young  shoots  produced  from  the  root, 
every  summer,  which  becomes  barren  next  year,  and 
perishes  the  following  winter,  and  should  be  now  cut 
out  as  above,  close  to  the  ground  ;  part  of  the  young 
shoots  should  also  be  cut  away,  leaving  but  four  or 
five  of  the  strongest  on  each  stock.  Prune  off  the 
tops  of  those  that  remain,  leaving  them  about  five 
feet  high,  which  increases  the  size  of  the  fruit,  as 
well  as  to  encourage  the  growth  of  suckers  for  the  fol- 
lowing year.  This  cutting,  however,  should  not  be 
done  in  the  spring,  until  all  chance  of  severe  frost 
is  over.  The  stems  should  afterwards  be  tied  lightly 
together  at  the  top,  or  to  stakes  placed  in  the  ground. 
With  regard  to  the  proper  soil  for  this  fruit,  different 
opinions  have  existed.  Mclntosh  says,  "  all  that 
is  required,  we  think,  is  a  deep,  rich,  and  humid  soil, 


STRAWBERRY.  123 

for  upon  shallow,  dry,  and  poor  soils,  they  neither 
produce  such  fine  fruit,  nor  do  the  plants  last  as 
long.  In  deep  alluvial  soils,  this  fruit  attains  a  per- 
fection seldom  seen  elsewhere." 

Cultivators  generally  approve  of  a  soil  of  the  above 
description,  and  most  of  them  recommend  a  situation 
either  naturally  or  artificially  shaded.  This  is  very 
necessary  here,  under  our  July  and  August  sun,  that 
the  plants  should  be  grown  in  a  half  shady  position. 
Some  cultivators,  with  the  view  of  obtaining  large 
fruit,  cut  away  all  the  suckers,  and  also  the  young 
wood ;  by  that  means  larger  fruit  is  obtained,  but 
the  plants  are  rendered  useless  for  future  bearing, 
and  are  consequently  destroyed,  and  fresh  plantations 
must  be  formed. 


STRAWBERRY. 

There  are  numerous  varieties  of  this  fruit,  and 
new  sorts  are  constantly  being  produced  in  Europe, 
as  well  as  in  our  country.  The  late  president 
of  the  London  Horticultural  Society,  of  London, 
Thomas  Andrew  Knight,  had  not  less  than  four  hun- 
dred varieties  of  this  fruit  in  his  garden,  almost  all 
of  his  own  raising.  Few  plants  multiply  more 
readily  than  the  strawberry,  either  by  suckers  from 
the  main  stem,  or  by  runners,  which  extend  to  a 
considerable  length,  and  strike  root  at  every  joint, 
from  which  a  new  plant  springs.  These,  when 
rooted,  are  separated  from  the  parent,  and -planted 
out  where  they  are  to  remain.  They  are  also  in- 


124  FRUIT    BOOK. 

creased  by  seeds ;  but  unless,  in  the  case  of  the 
Wood,  and  Alpine  sorts,  this  is  rarely  attempted. 

These  sorts  are  thus  raised  by  many.  The  seeds 
are  sown  in  the  spring,  in  a  bed  of  light,  rich  mould, 
and  by  August  the  plants  will  be  of  a  proper  size  for 
setting  out.  These  differ  from  other  sorts  in  quick- 
ness of  bearing,  as  most  others  sown  in  the  spring, 
will  not  produce  fruit  under  two  years.  The  Alpine 
will  continue  to  bear  fruit  throughout  the  season ; 
but  although  a  constant  succession  of  fruit  is  ob- 
tained through  the  season  of  vegetation,  the  supply 
is  but  very  limited,  and  it  is  consequently  not  a  pro- 
fitable variety  for  common  culture.  There  are  a 
number  of  fine  varieties  in  general  cultivation,  pro- 
lific, and  of  fine  flavor.  Among  those  we  should 
recommend  Hovey's  Seedling,  a  new  and  very  large 
variety  ;  Bishop's  Orange,  Warren's  Seedling,  and 
the  Early  Virginia  ;  these  are  all  desirable  sorts  ;  the 
last  named  variety  is  generally  considered  to  be  the 
most  profitable  for  an  early  market  strawberry. 

"  With  respect  to  the  season  for  planting  this  fruit, 
opinions  are  somewhat  at  variance ;  some  recom- 
mending autumn,  and  others,  spring ;  (we  prefer  the 
latter  in  our  region.)  If  the  plants  are  strong,  and 
have  been  selected  from  the  earliest  runners,  they 
will  succeed  very  well  if  planted  in  the  fall.  Gamier, 
an  English  cultivator,  makes  his  beds  in  August,  or 
as  soon  as  the  fruit  is  gathered.  Keen,  however, 
says,  he  has  "  always  found  the  spring  better,  plant- 
ing them  in  beds  containing  three  or  four  rows,  and 
the  plants  in  each  row  at  a  certain  distance  from 


STRAWBERRY.  125 

each  other,  leaving  an  alley  between  each  bed  the 
distance  of  the  rows."  Lindley  "  prepares  the  ground 
for  his  plants  by  trenching  twenty  inches  deep,  and 
adding  a  quantity  of  half-rotted  dung ;  the  roots  of 
strawberries,  penetrating  as  they  do  to  a  consid- 
erable depth,  it  is  at  their  extremities  that  they,  in 
common  with  all  plants,  take  up  their  nourishment." 
He  plants  in  beds  of  four  rows  each,  with  alleys 
from  two  feet,  to  two  feet  and  a  half,  between  the 
beds.  The  stronger  growing  sorts  are  set  fifteen 
inches  apart  between  the  rows,  and  the  same  dis- 
tance between  each  plant.  The  medium  sized 
growers  (Early  Virginia)  are  allowed  twelve  inches 
each  way  ;  and  the  smaller  growing,  such  as  the 
Alpine,  twelve  inches  by  nine.  Shaded  and  dark 
situations,  or  under  the  drip  of  trees,  although  some- 
times chosen,  are  unfavorable  for  this  fruit.  They 
ought  to  be  accommodated  with  an  open,  airy,  and 
warm  exposure. 

"  After  the  plantation  is  once  made,  the  principal 
attention  required  is,  keeping  the  ground  free  from 
weeds  by  repeated  hoeing.  The  practice  of  Keen  is 
not  only  to  keep  the  ground  clear  from  weeds,  but  on 
no  account  to  allow  any  other  crop  to  be  planted 
between  the  rows ;  and  I  recommend  (says  he)  to 
scatter  some  loose  straw,  or  long  dung,  between  the 
rows,  as  it  serves  to  keep  the  ground  moist,  enriches 
the  strawberry,  and  forms  a  clean  bed  for  the  trusses 
of  fruit  to  lie  upon ;  and  thus,'  by  a  little  extra 
trouble  and  cost,  an  abundant  crop  may  be  ob- 
tained." 

11* 


126  FRUIT    BOOK. 

Some  cultivators  recommend  cutting  off  the  leaves 
of  strawberry  plants  in  autumn  ;  while  others,  with 
better  reason,  highly  disapprove  of  this  course,  as  also 
the  practice  of  digging  between  the  rows  in  autumn. 
Knight,  and  also  Young,  says,  "  that  this  practice  of 
digging  shortens  the  lateral  roots,  and  the  plants  not 
only  lose  the  true  sap,  which  such  roots  abundantly 
contain,  but  the  organs  themselves,  which  the  plants 
must  depend  upon  for  supplies  of  new  food  in  the 
spring,  must  be,  to  a  considerable  extent,  destroyed." 
Strawberry  beds  in  this  latitude  should  be  covered 
in  the  fall  with  leaves,  straw,  litter,  or  seaweed ;  this 
last  article  we  have  used  in  preference-  to  any  other 
material,  as  it  is  not  subject  to  heat  and  rot,  and  is 
more  easily  removed  in  the  spring. 

The  method  of  cultivating  the  strawberry  in  hills 
we  approve,  particularly  for  the  larger  growing  varie- 
ties. Cutting  off  the  runners  as  they  appear ;  the 
roots  will,  under  this  treatment,  throw  out  a  greater 
quantity  of  fruit,  and  larger  berries.  This  course  of 
culture  is  peculiarly  well  adapted  for  a  weedy  soil, 
as  these  are  more  easily  eradicated  from  around  the 
plants. 


THE  GOOSEBERRY. 


The  Gooseberry,  in  its  wild  or  uncultivated  state, 
is  found  in  most  countries  of  Europe,  as  also  in  this 
country.  They  have  increased  in  size  under  culti- 
vation, and  the  varieties  are  now  so  extensive,  that 
their  names  alone  would  occupy  more  space  than 


GOOSEBERRY.  127 

could  be  appropriated  in  this  compilation.  Seven 
hundred  and  twenty-two  are  enumerated  by  Lindley  ; 
these  are  divided  or  classed  according  to  their  colors, 
white,  green,  yellow,  red,  and  dark  purple.  These 
differ  much  in  quality  ;  some  of  the  largest  fruit, 
having  a  thick  skin,  are  fit  only  for  cooking,  while 
others  are  fine  for  the  table.  In  our  importations  of 
this  fruit,  we  have  invariably  sent  for  those  only 
which  are  considered  the  best  table  varieties,  without 
regard  to  names.  The  gooseberry  bush  will  flourish 
in  almost  any  soil,  but  that  which  is  humid  and 
richly  manured  will  produce  the  largest  fruit.  "  The 
best  soil,"  says  Rogers,  "  is  a  fine  fresh  loam,  neither 
too  heavy  nor  too  light,  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  if 
resting  on  a  sub-soil  of  clay,  so  much  the  better." 
They  should  be  set  in  the  most  open  and  airy  situa- 
tion in  the  garden  ;  as  in  a  confined  and  close  loca- 
tion, as  well  as  in  the  hot  sun  without  a  good 
circulation  of  air,  they  are  exceedingly  inclined  to 
mildew.  To  destroy  the  green  worm,  as  also  the 
small  orange-colored  aphides,  which  often  injure  the 
bushes  and  destroy  the  fruit,  we  sprinkle  the  plants 
with  salt  and  water  early  in  the  spring,  before  the 
leaves  are  developed  ;  the  mixture  may  then  be  made 
so  strong  as  to  whiten  the  branches,  without  affect- 
ing the  future 'crop  of  fruit.  Should  the  leaves  or 
buds  be  in  part  expanded,  the  brine  should  be  greatly 
reduced,  say  one  quart  of  salt  to  about  eight  gallons 
of  soft  water,  applied  over  the  bushes  from  the  rose 
of  a  watering  pot.  One  of  the  best  situations  for 
this  fruit  is  upon  moist  and  warm  hills. 


128  FRUIT    BOOK. 

These  bushes  are  easily  raised  from  cuttings,  pro- 
vided you  have  moist  soil,  by  placing  them  into  the 
ground  immediately  upon  the  falling  of  the  leaf, 
when  the  shoots  of  the  summer  are  well  ripened,  or 
very  early  in  the  following  spring.  These  should  be 
taken  from  the  strongest  and  cleanest  shoots  of  the 
last  summer's  growth,  rubbing  off  the  buds  to  within 
three  or  four  at  the  top  ;  they  should  then  be  in- 
serted from  three  to  five  inches  deep,  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  soil  and  situation  ;  all  buds  that 
may  push  below  those  left  at  the  top,  to  form  the  head 
of  the  bush,  should  be  cut  away.  Gooseberries  bear 
their  fruit  on  the  last  year's  shoots,  and  on  short 
natural  studs  or  spurs  ;  they  will  continue  to  bear  on 
the  same  buds  or  spurs  for  many  years,  especially  if 
the  branches  are  kept  open  and  free  for  the  admis- 
sion of  the  sun  and  air.  To  have  large  fruit,  they 
should  be  trained  to  resemble  a  well  formed  tree  in 
miniature ;  the  ground  around  the  bushes  should  be 
enriched  with  well-rotted  manure  ;  cut  out  all  de- 
cayed or  irregular  branches,  let  none  be  permitted 
to  grow  across  each  other ;  also  the  superabundant 
lateral  shoots  of  the  last  summer,  on  the  old  wood 
near  the  ground,  only  retaining  here  and  there  one 
in  vacant  parts,  to  form  successional  bearers,  and  to 
supply  the  places  of  unfruitful  branches. 


THE  CURRANT. 

Both  the  black  and  red  Currant  are  indigenous  to 
Britain.      The  white,   which  is  supposed  to  be  a 


CURRANT.  W  ^   OFl"29 

hybrid,  accidentally  produced  by  (^UWrt;  TirM  T^s  * 
been  brought  to  a  high  degree  of  cultivation  by  the 
Dutch,  (who  do  not  however  claim  it  as  a  native  of 
Holland,)  are  the  varieties  which  our  gardens  at  this 
time  present.  They  are  all  justly  considered  to  be 
among  our  most  desirable  and  wholesome  fruits. 
Lindley  describes  six  sorts,  and  the  Fruit  Catalogue 
of  the  London  Horticultural  Society  enumerates 
fourteen.  The  following,  under  our  own  cultivation, 
we  consider  among  the  best : 

Large  white  Dutch,  amber  colored  fruit  and  large  bunches. 

"     red          "        dark  red  fruit  and  long  bunches. 
English  black,      .     dark  purple  fruit,  full  bunches. 
Champagne,    .     .     a  pale  red  fruited  sort,  rather  acid. 

The  same  instructions  for  the  culture  of  the  goose- 
berry will  apply  in  the  main  to  this  fruit,  with  the 
exception  that  they  do  not  require  the  like  airy  situa- 
tion, as  they  are  not  liable  to  mildew.  Both  fruits 
do  better  when  set  in  open  inclosures  than  against 
fences  or  walls.  High  manuring  is  as  essential  for 
the  production  of  large  berries  in  the  currant  as  in 
the  gooseberry.  Autumnal  planting  is  preferable  to 
the  spring.  They  should  be  set  at  about  five  feet 
distance  each  way,  and  no  branches  suffered  to  grow 
within  five  or  six  inches  from  the  ground,  all  the 
laterals  below  this  being  rubbed  off,  and  the  bushes 
grown  in  the  form  of  a  small  tree.  The  insects 
which  infest  the  gooseberry  are  the  same  with  this 
fruit,  and  the  same  method  used  for  their  extermi- 
nation. Currants  and  gooseberries,  when  planted 
by  the  sides  of  walks  and  alleys,  are  very  cumber- 


130  FRUIT    BOOK. 

some  in  general.  It  is  better  to  plant  them  in  quar- 
ters by  themselves,  and  to  make  new  plantations 
every  fifth  or  sixth  year ;  for  young  plants  produce 
handsomer  fruit  than  old  ones,  and  more  plentifully. 


FRUIT  TREES,  GIRDLED  BY  MICE. 

The  meadow  or  field  mouse  frequently  injures  or 
destroys  trees,  particularly  in  winter,  when  there  are 
deep  snows,  by  gnawing  the  bark  quite  round  the 
limb  through  into  the  wood. 

The  best  method  to  preserve  such  trees,  is  to  pro- 
cure long  scions,  and,  as  soon  as  the  bark  will  peel, 
which  will  take  place  on  the  movement  of  the  sap, 
to  insert  them  by  bark  grafting  or  inarching  one  end 
under  the  living  bark  below  the  debarked  circle, 
and  the  other  under  the  corresponding  bark  above ; 
then  take  strong  bass  matting,  and  bind  it  closely 
above  and  below,  covering  the  whole  with  a  compo- 
sition of  clay,  cow  manure,  and  hair  finely  incorpo- 
rated, in  order  to  keep  out  the  sun  and  air.  Each 
end  of  the  scion  must  be  pared  auay  upon  one  side, 
previous  to  their  being  set,  as  described  in  the  article 
"  Grafting  under  the  Bark." 

The  above  process  is  more  successful  upon  the 
apple,  pear,  and  quince,  than  upon  the  plum,  cherry, 
or  peach. 


INDEX 


APPLES. 


Page.                                                                          Page. 

American  Red  Juneating 

27 

Michael  Henry  Pippin 

42 

Bevan's  Favorite 

40 

Minister 

39 

Boxford 

30 

Newtown  Spitzenberg 

36 

Baldwin 

36 

Oslin 

30 

Blue  Pearmain 

33 

Ortley  Pippin 

35 

Bellflower 

37 

Porter 

31 

Benoni 

29 

Pennock's  Red  Winter 

36 

Cann  Apple 
Drap  d'Or 

41 

28 

Pickman  Pippin 
Quince  Apple 

33 
42 

Duchess  of  Oldenburg 

31 

Red  Ingestrie 

32 

Danvers  Winter  Sweet 

38 

Ramsdel's  Red    Pumpkin 

Early  Harvest 

26 

Sweet 

41 

Early  Bough 

26 

Rambo,  or  Romanite 

41 

Early  Red  Margaret 

27 

Rambour  d'Ete 

28 

Fall  Harvey 

28 

Red  Astracan 

30 

Franklin  Golden  Pippin 

32 

Rhode  Island  Greening 

35 

Fameuse 

34 

Ribstone  Pippin 

33 

Gravenstein 

33 

Red  Quarenden 

34 

Golden  Russet 

33 

Red  Doctor  Apple 

29 

Green  Sweet 

40 

Roxbury  Russet 

39 

Hawthorndean 

29 

Strawberry  Apple 

41 

Hubbardston  Nonsuch 

39 

Summer  Queen 

27 

Kilham  Hill 

30 

Summer  Rose 

27 

Kerry  Pippin 

32 

Summer  Pearmain 

28 

Lady  Apple 

37 

Superb  Sweet 

40 

Lyscom 

31 

Swaar 

38 

Lovett  Sweet 

35 

White  Winter  Calville 

36 

Mela  Carla 

38 

Wine  Apple 

34 

Menagere 

34 

Williams's  Favorite  Red 

29 

Murphy 

35       Yellow  Ingestrie 

32 

PEARS. 

Autumn  Superb 

60       Beurre  Crapaud 

92 

Andrews 

51 

Beurre  Bronze 

92 

Amire  Joannet 

48 

Beurre  Romaine  ? 

91 

Beurre  d'Amalis 

87 

Beurre  d'Aremberg 

85 

132 


FRUIT  BOOK. 


Page. 

Beurre  Bosc  59 

Beurre  Golden  of  Bilboa  70 

Beurre  Van  Marum  65 

Beurre  Diel  79 

Belmont  92 

Bourgmestre,  of  Boston  S3 

Bergamotte  d'Automne  73 

Bloodgood  49 

Bon  Chretien  Fondante  69 

Belle  Lucrative  61 

Belle  et  Bonne  62 

Buffum  66 

Bleeker's  Meadow  76 

Black  Pear  of  Worcester  86 

Chair  a'Dame  55 

Capsheaf  65 

Cabot  68 

Columbian  Virgalieu  92 

Cumberland  71 

Crawford  53 

Citron  de  Sirentz  55 

Gushing  56 

Catillac  83 

Dearborn's  Seedling  53 

Dix  77 

Duchesse  d'Angouleme  65 

Echasserie  80 

Easter  Beurre  86 

Fig  Pear  of  Naples  78 

Flemish  Beauty  89 

Frederic  of  Wurtemburg  72 

Fulton  76 

Green  Pear  of  Yair  55 

Gansel's  Bergamot  68 

Glout  Morceau  91 

Golden  Beurre  of  Bilboa  70 

Hacon's  Incomparable  92 

Harvard  76 

Heathcote  60 

Honey  50 

Henry  Fourth  62 

Hunt's  Connecticut  91 

Jalouse  60 

Johonnot  58 

Josephine  90 


Page. 

Julienne  50 

Jackman's  Melting  57 

Lawrence  92 
Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey        71 

Long  Green  62 

Lewis  80 

MacLaughlin  92 

Madaleine  48 

Marie  Louise  75 
Moorfowl's  Egg,  of  Boston   74 

Muscadine  92 

Naumkeag  65 

Napoleon  74 

Newtown  Virgalieu  78 

Petit  Muscat  48 

Pope's  Quaker  69 

Petre  71 

Princess  of  Orange  68 

Passe  Colmar  81 

Prince's  St.  Germain  80 

Pound  Pear  86 

Raymond  66 

Reine  des  Poires  69 

Rousselette  HatifF  50 

Rousselette  de  Rheims  73 

Rostiezer  66 

Surpass  Vergalieu  63 

Seckel  57 

Surpass  St.  Germain  83 

Skinless  52 

Stevens's  Genesee  88 

Summer  Rose  58 

Summer  Franc  Real  52 

Summer  Thorn  55 

St.  Ghislain  55 

Sylvanche  Verte  78 

Urbaniste  54 
Van  Mons  Leon  Le  Clerc      92 

Valle  Tranche  55 

Washington  67 
Williams's  Bon    Chretien 

(Bartlett)  52 

Williams's  Early  53 

Wilkinson  73 

Winter  Nelis  84 


Belle  de  Vitry 
Cooledge's  Favorite 
Congress  Clingstone 


PEACHES. 


97 
99 
98 


Crawford's  Early  99 

Early  Ann  95 

Early  Royal  George  95 


INDEX. 


133 


Early  York 

George  the  Fourth 

Grosse  Mignonne 

Heath  Clingstone 

Malta 

Orange  Freestone 

Oldmixon  Clingstone 


Page. 
99 

99 
90 
98 


OS 


President 

Red  Rareripe 

Red  Cheek  Melacaton 

Red  and  Yellow  Rareripe 

White  Blossom 

White  Rareripe 


Page. 

97 
95 
96 
96 
97 


Blue  Imperatrice 
Breevort's   Purple   Wash 

ington 

Bleeker's  Gage 
Bingham 

Coe's  Golden  Drop 
Cooper's  Plum 
Cruger's  Scarlet  Gage 
Dana's  Yellow  Gage 
Duane's  Purple 
Diamond 
Elfrey 
Green  Gage 


Black  Tartarian 

Black  Heart 

Black  Eagle 

Davenport's 

Downer 

Early  Red  and  Yellow 

Elton 

Florence 

Gridley 


PLUMS. 

108 

German  Prune 

106 

- 

Italian  Damask 

103 

104 

Italian  Prune 

107 

106 

Kirk's  Plum 

104 

107 

Large  Long  Blue 

105 

108 

Morocco 

103 

106 

Orleans 

104 

108 

Purple  Gage 

105 

109 
107 

Prince's  Imperial  Gage 
Roe's  Autumn  Gage 

104 
109 

107 

Sharp's  Emperor 

109 

106 

Washington 

107 

105      White  Sweet  Damson 

109 

CHERRIES. 

112 

Late  Duke 

114 

112 

Manning's    Black    Bigar- 

113 

reau 

114 

112 

May  Duke 

111 

114 

Mottled  Bigarreau 

115 

115 
113 

Napoleon  Bigarreau 
Plnmstone  Morello 

112 
114 

112 

White  Bigarreau 

113 

113 

White  Mazzard 

114 

HOME  USE 

CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 
MAIN  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 
1 -month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling  642-3405. 
6-month  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  Circulation  Desk. 
Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days  prior 

to  due  date. 

ALL  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  RECALL  7  DAYS 
AFTER  DATE  CHECKED  OUT. 


DEC    31976 


INItKLIBRARY  LOAN 


371984 


LD21 — A-40m-12,'74 
(S2700L) 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


YB  47351 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


